HARBOURS BOMBED

Otago Daily Times, Issue 24422, 7 October 1940, Page 7

HARBOURS BOMBED

ITALIAN BASES WIDESPREAD R.A.F. RAIDS ARMY FRONTS QUIET (United Press Association) (By Electric Telegraph—Copyright) CAIRO, Oct. 5. (Received Oct. 6, at 9 p.m.) A communique issued to-day from the British General Headquarters says tha 4 there is no change on all fronts. . An R.A.F. communique states: “We successfully attacked shipping and warehouses at Benghazi in Libya. Fires broke out. A large merchantman was also hit. It was near the naval dockyard. Several hits were scored on small ships. “We attacked Tobruk harbour. Bombs fell on small ships moored at a jetty. Military stores and concentrations at Bardia were raided and incendiary bombs were dropped on the barracks there.”

A Rome communique states that the British bombed Bardia and Tobruk, causing slight damage but no casualties. An air raid on Derna resulted in three deaths and 38 wounded. A barge was sunk. The British carried out an air raid in the vicinity of Gallabat. One man is dead and four were wounded. The British also raided Asmara and slight damage was done. There were no casualties. One British and one Italian plane were downed.” An earlier Royal Air Force communique issued in Cairo said that in the Western Desert a raid was carried out on Buqbuq and the water storage was iamaged. In Italian East Africa successful attacks were made on Maidaga, near Asmara, where, 3l the result of bombing, a large column of black smoke was observed Desnite intense anti-air-craft fire and fighter opposition, the attack was pressed home. One enemy fighter, a Caproni 42, was seen spinning. apparently out of control, towards the ground at less than 1000 ft. One British bomber crashed. Four raids were made on Assab. Naval barracks, oil tanks, the jetty, and neighbouring wharf buildings were bombed successfully, a direct hit bein'* registered on the naval barracks.

An Italian communique earlier reported enemy attacks against Berbera and several places in Italian Somaliland and Eritrea. Three were killed and five wounded, and there was slight materia] damage.