QUIET IN AFRICA

Wairarapa Times-Age, 10 August 1940, Page 5

QUIET IN AFRICA

SAVE FOR AIR RAIDS BRITISH OFFICIAL REPORT. ITALIANS MOVING NORTH IN SOMALILAND. (British Official Wireless.) (Received This Day, 10.5 a.m.) RUGBY, August 9. Today’s Cairo war communique states: “In the Western Desert, Mersa Matruh was raided by one enemy aircraft, causing no damage or casualties. All areas are very quiet. “In the Sudan on Wednesday slight damage was done by enemy aircraft at Gebeit, when a few civilians were slightly injured. “In Somaliland enemy columns from Hargesia and Oadweina are reported to be advancing northwards. Patrols along the coast between Berbera and Zeila report that the situation is normal. There were two entirely ineffective air raids on Berbera.

“There is nothing to report from Palestine and Kenya.

"The air battle in which a formation of British Gladiators shot down fifteen Italian aircraft took place some distance west of Sidi Omar, on the LybiaEgyptian border.” The communique announcing this success, at a cost of two British planes missing, continues: “Berbera was raided yesterday by three crews and later by a small formation of enemy bombers. It is reported that one of the bombers was damaged by ground defence fire. There were no British casualties. Our bombers on Wednesday attacked Hargesia and hits were registered on barracks and bungalows, believed to contain troops. The frontier post at El Wak was raided by bombers on the South African Air Force.”