WAR OF ATTRITION

Otago Daily Times, Issue 24419, 3 October 1940, Page 9

WAR OF ATTRITION

ITALIAN BASES HARASSED BRITISH SUCCESSES (United Press Association) (By Electric Telegraph—Copyright) : LONDON, Oct. 1. (Received Oct. 2, at 11.30 p.rri.) # ’ V>:V; The'Daily Telegraph’s Cairo correspondent says the steady weafing down, of Mussolini’s bases in East Africa was carried a big Step forward in September. This aspect of the war has not received the publicity- it deserves because of Hitler’s assault against Britain - *nd Marshal Grazfani’S push' against Egypt. . ’ The British and. South African Air Forces have been on the job- night, and day. and have chalked up a series of magnificent successes. The pilots , have flown tremendous distances over savage ' itidUhtainoUs rioimtry, where-a forced; landing would mean certain deathf .'British planes raided 1 32 military and Air Force bases in September: Assab, the chief target, has. been raided 10 times, re- ' aulfinjg in. the sinking of ships arid, the-burning of . aircraft, petrol, dumps, hangars and: barracks. The vital airport of Gura has been raided seven timesJ and Kassala and Asmara each four .limes. Mussolini in September lost 57 rilahes throughout Africa for certain and 'probablyanother 44, making the totals since the outbreak 214 and 124. Tell-tale columns of smoke throughout Abyssinia reflect the systematic war of attrition against Italian bases. * The Governor-General of -Belgian Gringo, Pierre Ryclcmans, announced that important developments could be expected in the .relations between Britain and the Congo. Probably Britain would assist the colony financially. Lord Hailey, head of the British economic mission, arrived at lieoprildvine; where a;British military mission is already conferring ■with the Congo authorities.