British Naval Bombardment

Auckland Star, Volume LXXI, Issue 224, 20 September 1940, Page 7

British Naval Bombardment

ENEMY PASTED Support Positions Heavily Attacked By R.A.F. Planes ————_ _ ißritish Official Wireless.—Rec. noon.) n , RUGBY, September 19. Details of the naval operations against the Italians in East £i" Ca . V. e contained in the following Admiralty communique: The initial report from the Commander-in-Chief of the Mediterranean Forces indicates that units of the Royal Navy continue to harry the northern flank of the Italian advance from Libya On Tuesday night one of our naval units bombarded the coast road to Solium at close range. Simultaneously other units attacked the enemy concentrations at Sidi Barrani. "The Commander-in-chief reports that both these bombardments appear to have had considerable success. Benghazi was attacked by aircraft of the Fleet A»r Arm on Monday. The Commander-in-Chief reports that during this attack one merchant ship was set qn fire, one destroyer probably eunk and eeveral other ships damaged. Yesterday's Italian communique admitted tjiat a torpedo boat and pontoon had been and a few fire* started at Benghazi. . , . ~ "Concurrent with these operations off the Libyan coast, naval operations have been carried but in other areas. In the course of these operations no enemy naval forces could be located. In the north-eastern Mediterranean one of our convoys and escort warships were several times unsuccessfully attacked by aircraft." To-day's communique from the headquarters at Cairo says there is no change in the situation in Egypt. The enemy continues to consolidate his positions in the Sidi Barrani and Solium areas. On other fronts there is nothing to report. The R.A.F. communique, according to a cable message, states: "We yesterday most successfully attacked new enemy bases in the Dodecanese. All "planes returned." . Claims By Rome Communique. A Rome message says General Graziani reported to Musso- ' lint that Sidi Barrani had been occupied when the enemy, after resisting inch by inch, was finally upset by Italian pincers movement and- hurriedly retreated to Mersa Matruh, destroying munition dumps and salting wells. The British lost over half of their, numerous armoured units, he claims. Another Rome communique says British naval units started a bombardment of Italian troops between Bardia and Sidi Barrani, bqt the Italian Air Force intervened and bombed the enemy shjps. forcing them to flee. A 10,000-ton British cruiser was torpedoed from the air and seriously damaged. "We again bombed and machine-gunned enemy columns and mechanised units which were fleeing everywhere," the communique claims. "Wβ also bombed Mersa Matruh and other military targets. The enemy raided Tobruk, Boma and Benghazi, but limited damage was done. The British also made an air raid on Rhodes, Leros and Amny. Fires were started but there were no casualties. The British raided Kassala, Assab. Jiavejlo, Mogadishu, Diredawa, Zeila and Mersataclai, killing seven and wounding thirteen."