ITALIAN BASES RAIDED

Timaru Herald, Volume CXLVIII, Issue 21818, 22 November 1940, Page 5

ITALIAN BASES RAIDED

Direct Hits On Ships Australian Fighters In First Action British Official Wireless RUGBY, November 20. The Air Ministry News Service states that* a night raid was carried out on November 18-19 on Benghazi, Berga, Barce and Tobruk. Shipping was attacked at Benghazi and bombs burst around three ships, two of which received direct hits. An ammunition dump was blown up and a hangar was hit at Berko, while at Oenina a large fire was started in the central hangar and among grounded aircraft at Barce. Barracks at Tobruk were attacked and several hits were registered. Grounded aircraft at Barce were bombed, and at least one enemy aeroplane was destroyed. Gura was raided again on the night of November 18-19, and a fire started in a large warehouse. Massawa and Kassala were also attacked the ; me night. Merchant shipping was the objective at Massawa and military stores at Kassala. At both places' bombs fell on the targets, but it was difficult to assess the amount of damage. The railway line at Agordat and Keren was raided, bombs falling on the line itself, also on railway buildings. Aircraft of the South African Air Force carried out two raids on Nardens in Italian Somaliland on November 18 and caused considerable damage to the wireless station and administrative buildings. In all these operations only one aircraft was lost. R.A.A.F. in Action Fighter aircraft of the Royal Australian Air Force engaged in their first aerial battle in the Western Desert on Tuesday. When returning from patrol, four Gladiators of this squad-

ron encounteed a large force of enemy fighters. Five Fiat CR 42’s are reported to have been shot down. One Gladiator was lost and another made a forced landing in Italian East Africa. The pilot was saved. A communique issued in Cairo states that 57 were killed and 79 wounded in an air raid on Alexandria on November 19. The Government voted £3OOO for relief. There were three alerts at Alexandria this morning, but the anti-air-craft defences beat off the raiders before bombs were dropped. An Italian communique states: “The Italian Air Force attacked mechanised forces south-east of Sidi Barrani and destroyed five tanks, 12 armoured cars and several guns. The enemy raided Tobruk and Benghazi, causing slight damage. An enemy cruiser shelled Dante. The enemy air force bombed Massawa, Bardia, and Agordat. The damage was not important.”