FIGHTING IN AFRICA
CONTACT WITH ENEMY. VICINITY OF SOLLUM. (British Official Wireless.) (Bee; 1.35 p.m.) ; RUGBY, Sept. 16. A communique issued at Cairo on Monday states: “Although the main enemy forces appear to be consolidating their position around Solium, strong elements of armoured fighting vehicles are now m contact with our advance troops about Buqbuq (east of Solium). Throughout yesterday the enemy was successfully harried by the R.A.F. and artillery fire from our mobile guns. “The other fronts are quiet. A Daventry report says it can now be revealed that two battalions or 1 unjabis played a big part in the Somaliland campaign. Four were killed, 11 wounded, and 11 are missing. Lhe Italian columns moving along the coast have been repeatedly bombed, and big fires have been started. OCCUPATION OF. SOLLUM. CLAIMS BY ITALIANS. (Rec. 10.55 a.m.) ROME, Sept. 16. A communique states: “An Italian vanguard has occupied Solium, .pushed beyond it, and destroyed approximately fifty enemy armoured cars and tanks. The retreating units set fire to numerous supply depots and suffered serious losses by air. We carried out dive-bombing attacks against Halfar Airport (Malta), hitting anti-aircraft batteries, sheds and equipment. A big explosion and a large fire were observed. Italian escort planes engaged dive-bombers which counter-attacked and one British plane was shot down. All ours returned.
“Italian motor torpedo-boats sank a submarine in the Eastern Mediterranean and a cruiser was hit by a medium bomb. We bombed troops sheds at Gosregeb. Natives at Me to mmu were routed when a caravan led by an Australian captain was trying to enter Italian territory-” A later communique states Italian bombers have intensified their attacks in lhe region of Sidi Barrani and Mersa Matruli in the past 48 hours, repeatedly hitting the supply organisation of an important place in Egyptian territory. They have destroyed many units of an armoured division.
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Manawatu Standard, Volume LX, Issue 248, 17 September 1940, Page 8
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309FIGHTING IN AFRICA Manawatu Standard, Volume LX, Issue 248, 17 September 1940, Page 8
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