BLACKSHIRTS ADVANCE

Taranaki Daily News, 25 September 1940, Page 8

BLACKSHIRTS ADVANCE

By Telegraph.—Press Assn.—Copyright.

GOOD TARGETS OFFERED

Kec. 8.20 p.m. . London Sept. 23. TWENTY-FIVE pound guns, macliine-guns and bombeis con'tinue to take advantage of the excellent targets which Italian supply convoys present in Egypt. The Italians have no targets. in the mobile British units for retaliatory fire. The Italians pay a heavy toll for every yard of advance and for every gallon of petrol or round of ammunition brought up. Britain's main desert forces, based at Mersa Matruh, await the moment for.a major attack. The Senussi desert tribes are also poised ready to swoop on the Italian rear flanks, bases and outposts. The Italian column has now repaired the nnne-blaste roads from the Libyan escarpment, and other units are penetrating westward along a rough desert track south of the mam coastal track in an attempt to protect the main advance and cover 4 the consolidation of Sollum and Sidi Barrani. The British hit hard and methodically whenever the enemy exposes himself.

The war in the western desert islikely to continue for a week or two as guerrilla harrying of the Italians. It is authoritatively stated that Britain is satisfied with Egypt's attitude and is confident she will take all steps the developing situation requires. The Prime Minister, Hassan Sabry Pasha, replying to the resignations of the Saadist pro-war members of the Cabifiet, said: "Your fears that the Italians intend to conquer Egypt are exaggerated. The Cabinet is opposed. to throwing the country irnmediately into the fumace of war without evident interest or necessity. Our defence preparations are constantly being accelerated." Egyptian authorities have _ begun rounding up all Italians in Cairo as a precaution. Seven thousand have already been detained. Similar measures are being taken throughout Egypt, but a newspaper report that martial law has been imposed is denied at Cairo. Enemy Bombing Ineffective. A Cairo communique states: "The Italians bombed Alexandria, Sidi Haneish and Mersa Matruh. Negligible damage was done but there were two casualties." A R.A.F. communique states: "A raid on Benghazi resulted in a direct hit on a ship and a fire in warehouses alongside the xnole. ' We raided Menastir aerodrome and also scored direct hits on lorries in a motor transport concentration at Sidi Barrani. The enemy raided Malta, damaging ten village houses. They also twice attacked Aden without damage. We attacked the East African aerodromes of Maiadaga and Gura. The. South African Air Force successfully raided E1 Katulo and Dimo. An enemy raid on Isiolo inflicted no military or police casualties but killed or wounded a few natives and cmlians." First Raid on Cyprus. The first enemy air attack on Cyprus is recorded in a communique from the headquarters of the Cyprus troops, which states: "Hostile planes, flying at a great height, raided a town in the Morahou Bay area on Sunday morning. The attack lasted from 11.20 a.m. to 12.2 p.m. Bombs dropped in the sea. Later part of the town was machine-gunned. There were no casualties and no material damage. An air raid alarm sounded at Nicosia from 11.25 a.m. to 12.5 p.m." A Nairobi communique states: "South African Air Force squadrons successfully attacked Birikau, in Italian Somaliland for the second time in a weekv Direct hits were obtained on a camp and fires were started. Other South African aircraft carried out normal reconnaissances from these operations. All of the aircraft returned safely. Early on Saturday Italian aircraft attacked the Isiolo post area in Kenya. A number of bombs were dropped but there were no military or air force casualties and no damage."