ITALIAN SHIPS ABLAZE FROM BOMBS

Auckland Star, Volume LXXI, Issue 225, 21 September 1940, Page 10

ITALIAN SHIPS ABLAZE FROM BOMBS

R.AI. DESTRUCTION. Enemy Loses Heavily In Desert Offensive. British Official Wireless. (Reed. 1.30 p.m.) RUGBY, Sept. 20. A Royal Air Force communique, issued in Cairo on Friday, states: "Last night a formation of our bombers flew through a heavy antiaircraft barrage and successfully attacked shipping in Benghazi harbour (Libya). Three large ships were seen on fire as a result of the bombing. A concentration of enemy transport near Sidi Barrani was bombed for four hours.

"In Aby6sinia the Diredawa aerodrome was attacked, bombs falling and starting a fire in a hangar. Enemy fighters took off, but failed to press home their attack. Enemy aircraft attempted a night raid on Aden, causing only slight damage to buildings in the suburbs. There were no casualties. The aircraft was driven off by anti-aircraft fire. South African aircraft carried out extensive reconnaissances in southern Abyssinia and Italian SomaliJand."

A communique issued at Cairo headquarters to-day says there is no change in the situation in the western desert, and on the other fronts there is nothing to report.

The Italian forces marching on Egypt are suffering severely under an unceasing bombardment from land, sea and air, which is taking heavy toll of their men and machines and causing havoc to their supply convoys, says a cable message. This punishment is being inflicted in spite of the boast by the Italian leader, Marshal Graziani, that his men have marched and fought on only one litre of water a day. »

While the Italians are consolidating! their supplies they have not attempted to advance from Sidi Barrani, says a message from Cairo. The bombardment by three British fighting services has been intensified. The Royal Air Force is now using aeroplanes of the modern longrange type, carrying heavier loads for long distances. The bombing of Benghazi. on the coast of Libya, is the first evidence of this new power. Italians "Plastered." It is officially stated that Tuesday's fighting was much heavier than at first reported. The Italians, pouring in to Sidi Barrani too rapidly, made the first blunder in an excellently organised march. Both the Royal Air Force and British artillery caught them before they were ready, and solidly plastered their congested troop-carriers, supply wagons and tanks. The wreckage was too drastic yet to be estimated.

The British light mechanised patrols simultaneously carried out a manoeuvre in which they must now be the world's experts, namely, cutting in with a series of high-speed hit and run raids. JBrcn gun carriers, spurting across the desert at 40 miles an hour, ploughed a furrow through the long Italian column, then dashed off in clouds of dust.

The Royal Air Force chose this moment for its deepest raids into Libya, lhc machines made their first 1000-mile return flights to Benghazi, roasting the aerodrome with high-explosive and incendiary bombs. Petrol and Water Problems. The Royal Air Force now has a target all along the coast from Sidi Barrani to Benghazi, and impartially by the light of sun and moon is bombarding communications which Graziani must keep up if he is to avoid failure.

Graziani apparently has as many troops in Egypt aa he can handle and ia cooeonfcrnting on the supply situation,

particularly petrol and water. Tank] wagons and lorries laden with barrels are lumbering along the dusty tracks. A Rome communique claims that an Italian reconnaissance 'plane bombed and sank a British submarine off •Northern Africa, and states that the British raided Derna, Boma. Tobruk and Solium, causing slight damage. A British merchantman was damaged in the Aegean Sea and arrived at l'yracus (Greece) heavily damaged and on lire. It was docked. Italian "planes bombed British troops at Wadi Husu, northwest of Galabat (near the northern frontier of Abyssinia), and the British I raided Diredawa and Yawalo.