HEAVY ATTACKS

Manawatu Standard, Volume LX, Issue 246, 16 September 1940, Page 7

HEAVY ATTACKS

ON ITALIAN AFRICA. AERODROMES IN FLAMES. (United Press Association —Copyright.) (British Official Wireless.) (Rec. 10 a.m.) RUGBY, Sept. 15. Aircraft of the South African Air Force have raided aerodromes in Central Abyssinia, states a Cairo communique. At Gimma there was a direct hit oil a hangar and fires broke out among buildings, one Caproni aircraft being destroyed and another extensively damaged.

A.n 579 aircraft was shot down by one of our fighters over the Mediterranean on September 11. At Sciascinianna (Abyssinia) on September 12 the headquarters building was hit. One Savoi-a. aircraft was destroyed and three others damaged. A motor transport convoy was machinegunned. From these operations one of our aircraft failed to return.

R.A.F. bombers raided Somaliland and Eritrea on September 13. At Berbers, bombs fell on the ..European quarter, and at Assab there was a direct hit on a harbour and jetty. Gura and Asmara aerodromes were attacked and the buildings set on fire. Enemy fighters attempted to intercept without success. Another fire was started at Massawa. . The British United Press’s Cairo correspondent says: The Italians yesterday advanced across the Egyptian frontier and occupied Solium, from which the British withdrew six weeks ago. It is not clear whether the invasion of Egypt proper has begun. British armoured units are harassing the Italians.

PESTERED BY BRITISH RAIDS. . “ASSAULT AT ANY TIME.” LONDON, Sept. 14. A communique from headquarters in Cairo states that an Italian assault may come at any time, though there is no special reason to believe that an attack is imminent. The British forces in Egypt and the Sudan arc fujly prepared for developments. Some enemy movements toward the Libyan frontier have been observed and similar movements are reported from Kassala, which it was always expected the Italians might use as a base for aii extension of their penetration to the Sudan. However, the moving up of units in Libya may merely be designed to prevent the continued British penetration of Italian territory —a penetration which can be described as a running sore constantly causing enemy casualties of men and material. There is evidence that the Italians are strengthening their posts on the Libyan-Egyptian frontier, bat they have not begun an offensive. In spite of the Italian numerical superiority, the Italian tactics on the Libyan frontier have so far been purely defensive. All operations have been on the Italian side of the frontier. The British, forces have carried out a number of raids, and while in the northern sector these have only gone a short distance into Italian territory, for instance, to Capuzzo, British mobile forces have penetrated more deeply in the southern sector. Theso harassing tactics on the Italian flank have, in the view of military observers here, proved a great nuisance to the enemy. The Italian policy has been gradually to push forward dumps of munitions, food and water, and to form posts co defend them. While it may be that one of their directives is to reoccupy territory, the enemy’s tactics are also consistent with an ultimate policy of, taking the siveSOLLUM LEFT TO ENEMY. It was announced in to-day’s Cairo communique that the Italians have occupied the empty village of Solium, it will be recalled that as Joug ago as August 3 the Commander-in-Chier in the Middle East announced that he had begun to withdraw armoured troops lrom the Solium area, and that with, the withdrawal a definite phase of the action on the Libyan frontier was over—a phase which had lasted much longer than had been anticipated. Since the Egyptian frontier force withdrew in tile first week of the war with Italy so as to avoid involving Egypt in hostilities, the barracks on the escarpment above Solium had been held by not more than one company of British infantry. Against this the Italians had concentrated two complete divisions with a corps of troops and artillery of a third division. Solium has no national or military importance of any,, kind. Its little harbour, provided with a rough breakwater, has not been used or even visited by any war vessel for many years. As a civilian centre it possesses a few buildings and a normal population ot under a thousand. As a military base it is ruled out by the fact that it has no water supply. In the view of military experts it 6 possession will not even facilitate the advance of the Italians along the coast road leading to Mere a Matruh, for the escarpment on top of which the barracks stand is virtually precipitous and the only routes down it to the coast suitable for motor'"traffic have been destroyed. It will take a long time to repair them. _ . An R.A.F. communique issued in Cairo stated that the Bomba seaplane base was attacked during a series of raids in Eastern Libya. Bombs fell in the anchorage and a large fire broke out at a je(ty. Fires were visible for 30 miles alter the bombing of a transport concentration near Didiomar. South African units raided Abyssinian aerodiomes, starting fires. The R.A.l*. also raided Somaliland and Eritrea, scoring a direct hit on a jetty at Assab, and also attacked aerodromes at Gura and Asmara and started fires at Massawa. It is reported from Istanbul that three Italian bombers made forced landings almost at the same point of the Turkish coast this week. One sank. A Simla message states that 65 Italian officers and 415 other ranks have arrived at Bombay where oyer 1000 Italian prisoners of war are interned.