AFRICAN FRONT

Manawatu Standard, Volume LX, Issue 246, 14 September 1940, Page 7

AFRICAN FRONT

ITALIAN PREPARATIONS

KENYA BORDER CLASH

(United Press Association—Copyright.) (British Official Wireless.) (Rec. 10 a.m.) RUGBY, Sep. 13. A communique issued at General Headquarters in Cairo says that in Egypt the thickening up of the enemy’s defences west of the frontier is continuing. Beyond the usual raid on Mersa Matrub, air activity is slight.

It is now confirmed that one enemy aircraft was brought down by anti-air-craft fire on the night of September

On the other fronts there are no operations to report. An official communique issued at Nairobi states: Patrols are active on all parts of the front. One encountered superior enemy forces at Wal Gan's, on the frontier of Italian Somaliland, and inflicted casualties. Our casualties were of the slightest. • Tho Associated Press Cairo correspondent says intermittent exchanges of artillery fire between British and Italian outposts are reported to be increasing. ' Marshal Graziani is reported to be rushing fresh t root is from Libya to Bardia to compensate for the recent heavv British attacks there. TRANSPORT OE TROOPS.

Reinforcements are continually arriving in the Middle East, and official figures of arrival show that the .safety of the Red Sea route to Egypt has not been affected by the Italian occupation of British Somaliland. Since that time fleets of ships have sailed through the Red Sea without accident. In the past year 71 troop and supply ships have reached the Middle East from India unscathed and without the loss of a single life. These figures do not include the many British ships which use the Red Sea route on their regular services.

INVASION OF EGYPT.

NO NEWS RECEIVED

LONDON, Sept. 13. There is no news from British sources regarding Italian claims that an invasion of Egypt has begun. The Cairo correspondent of the Times says the R.A.F., the South African Aii- Force, the Rhodesian squadron, and French units, have carried out over 250 successful bombing raids in the last three months, in which R.A.F. Middle East Fighters and reoonnaisseurs have flown 2,500,000 miles.