LIBYA PENETRATED

Waikato Times, Volume 127, Issue 21167, 17 July 1940, Page 7

LIBYA PENETRATED

ROYAL AIR FORCE SUCCESS ITALIAN HEADQUARTERS MUCH DAMAGE DONE (United Press Assn.—Elec. T *l. Copyright) (Received July 17, 11.25 a.m.) CAIRO', July 16 Royal Air Force planes penetrated nearly 300 miles in Libya on July 16, on the longest reconnaissance yet attempted. They reached Tocra, only 60 miles from the Italian headquarters at Benghazi. This fact was disclosed in a communique, which proceeds: We again raided Tobruk and secured direct hits on two large naval oil tanks. Blenheims attacked large artillery stores at Bardia, and registered direct hits. Other planes raided Elgazala, in Libya, and attacked enemy planes on the ground. They bombed the military camp at El Faidia, in Libya, damaged barracks and buildings at Diredawa, and attacked a bomb dump in South Assab. All our planes returned. The South African Air Force secured direct hits on a militaryoccupied village south of Moyale and a body of native troops. We had no casualties. Italians Forced to Withdraw A Cairo communique states: On the western desert on July 14, artillery fire again forced enemy mechanised columns which were attempting to enter Capuzzo to withdraw, with the loss of one vehicle. A petrol ammunition dump at Capuzzo was set on fire. 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 Gamuk drew enemy reinforcements into a counterattack. The enemy suffered casualties before the camel corps withdrew.