HEAVY SHELLING

Taranaki Daily News, 21 September 1940, Page 7

HEAVY SHELLING

British Official Wireless.

ITALIAN ADVANCE BASES BRITISH NAVY IN ACTION ENEMY AVOIDS BATTLE

Rugby, Sept. 19. Unimpeded by any Italian naval forces, British warships have repeatedly bombarded Italian positions along the coast of Egypt. The British ships sought an engagement with the Italian navy, but could not find it. "An initial report from the Comman-der-in-Chief in the Mediterranean indicates that units of the Royal Navy continue to harry the northern flank of the Italian advancev to Libya," said an Admiralty communique. "On Tuesday night one of our naval units bombarded the coast road to Sollum at close range. Simultaneously other units attacked enemy concentrations at Sidi Barrani. The Commander-in-Chief in the Mediterranean reports that both these bombardments appear to have had considerable success. Enemy Destroyer Sunk. "Benghazi was attacked by aircraft o£ the Fleet Air Arm on Monday. The Commander-in-Chief in the Mediterranean reports that during this attack one merchant ship was set on fire, one destroyer probably sunk and several other ships damaged. Yesterday's Italian communique admitted that a torpedo boat and a pontoon had been sunk and a few fires started at Benghazi. "Concurrent with these operations off the Libyan coast, navai operations have been carried out in other areas. In the course of these operations no enemy naval forces could be located. In the north-eastern Mediterranean one of our convoys and escort warships were several times unsuccessfully attacked by aircraft." An Italian communique stated: "British naval units started a bombardment of Italian troops between Bardia and Sidi Barrani. The Italian air force intervened and bombed the enemy ships, forcing them to flee. A 10,000-ton British cruiser was torpedoed from the air and seriously damaged."