BRITISH PLANES OVER LIBYA

Southland Times, Issue 24181, 18 July 1940, Page 7

BRITISH PLANES OVER LIBYA

HITS ON TWO LARGE OIL TANKS DUMPS IN CAPUZZO ABLAZE (United Press Assn.—-Telegraph Copyright) CAIRO, July 16. Royal Air Force aeroplanes penetrated nearly 300 miles into Libya on July 1G on the longest reconnaissance flight yet attempted and they reached Port Tocra, which is only 60 miles from the Italian headquarters at Ben Ghazi. This fact was disclosed in a Royal Air Force communique which stated: “We again raided Tobruk and secured direct hits on two large naval oil tanks. Bristol Blenheims attacked large artillery stores at Bardia and registered direct hits. Other aeroplanes raided El Gazala in Libya and attacked enemy aeroplanes on the ground, bombed a military camp at El Faidia in Libya, damaged barracks and buildings at Diredawa and attacked a bomb-dump south of Assab. All our aeroplanes returned safely. The South African Air Force secured direct hits on a military-occu-pied village south of Moyale and a body of native troops. We suffered no casualties.” FIGHTING IN DESERT A communique issued in Cairo states: “On the western desert on July 14 artillery fire again forced enemy mechanized columns attempting to enter Fort Capuzzo to withdraw with the loss of one vehicle. Petrol and ammunition dumps in Fort Capuzzo are ablaze.” In Palestine during the first air raid the enemy dropped some bombs on Haifa without obtaining any direct hits. There were two casualties. In Somaliland a night raid on an Italian post at Gumuk drew enemy reinforcements into a counter-attack. The enemy suffered casualties before the Camel Corps withdrew. A special communique issued by the Commander-in-Chief of the Mediterranean Fleet (Admiral Sir Andrew Cunningham) reveals that operations on July 9 occurred off Calabria and also that at least 15 Italian bombers were shot down by anti-aircraft fire from the British warships in addition to five destroyed by the Fleet Air Arm. Information that Haile Selassie, former Emperor of Ethiopia, is at present near the Red Sea has caused increased restlessness among the Abyssinian tribes in the low lands. The Spokesman of the Syrian Government says that French aeroplanes in Syria and Lebanon will remain there and that there is no chance of their passing into Italian or German hands. The French are determined to adopt stringent measures against any disturbance of the peace, both internally and externally. The number of French aeroplanes in Syria is unofficially estimated at 400. BRITISH BUDGET TO BE PRESENTED (British Official Wireless) (Received July 17, 6.30 p.m.) RUGBY, July 16. The deputy-leader of the House, Mr C. R. Attlee, announced in the House of Commons that the Chancellor of the Exchequer, Sir Kingsley Wood, will present the Supplementary Budget next Tuesday. Returns publishea on Tuesday night show that the revenue at July 13 amounted to £20,650,059, compared with an expenditure of £54,240,470. Receipts from income tax at July 13 were £40,823,000, compared with £20,596,000 for the corresponding period of 1939. SWEDISH BREACH OF NEUTRALITY GRAVE VIEW TAKEN BY BRITISH GOVERNMENT LONDON, July 16. The Under-Secretary for Foreign Affairs (Mr R. A. Butler) stated in the House of Commons that the British Government had informed Sweden that it takes a grave view of the decision to allow German troops to cross Swedish territory and cannot but regard the Swedish Government’s action as a serious breach of neutrality.