BRISKLY HARRIED

Wairarapa Times-Age, 24 September 1940, Page 7

BRISKLY HARRIED

MARSHAL GRAZIANI’S ARMY HEAVY DAMAGE TO MASSED TRANSPORT. REAR LINES & BASES BOMBED & SHELLED. (By Telegraph—Pi’ess Association—Copyright) LONDON, September 22. The Royal Air Force is giving Marshal Graziani’s Libyan army no rest. Bombers have again caused considerable damage to massed transport at Sidi Barrani and to aircraft on the ground at another spot. These raids and the bombing and shelling of their rear lines and bases at Solium and Benghazi may explain why there has been no attempted Italian advance beyond Sidi Barrani.

The Italians in turn raided Mersa Matruh and the British base further along the Egyptian coast, but did only slight damage and lost one plane. British troops in Egypt are not making the mistake of underrating their opponents. The Italians have adopted the German tactics of mass formation. Though British machinegunners are taking heavy toll of them, a Reuter’s correspondent says that the Italians are showing considerable courage. The Italians' losses must have been heavy since they descended the coastal road to Sidi Barrani. Their artillery and equipment are inferior to the British. NAVAL ATTACK GOOD RESULTS AT SIDI BARRANI. (Received This Day. 9.5 a.m.) CAIRO, September 23. A naval communique says: "Naval forces attacked enemy positions in the Sidi Barrani area during the early hours of Sunday, with good results.” MARTIAL LAW DECLARED IN EGYPT. LONDON, September 23. Martial law has been declared throughout Egypt. This is described as a purely precautionary step. Penalties are provided , for public servants who injure na- i tional defence by failing to do I their duty. I The four pro-war Ministers who resigned, in a letter to the Egyptian Primo Minister, state that the Italian advance leaves no doubt that Mussolini is invading the country, contrary to his previous statements. "We believed that there is no room for hesitation." they state, "and we urged the defence of Egypt if he advanced upon our soil." FINAL DISCUSSIONS RIBBENTROP AND MUSSOLINI. LONDON, September 22. Before departing from Rome. Herr von Ribbentrop, the German ForeignMinister, had a further talk with Signor Mussolini. Count Ciano and the Italian Ambassador to Germany and the German Ambassador to Italy were ’ also present. NEW DEVELOPMENTS HINTS IN THE NAZI PRESS. ■ i LONDON. -September 23. Now that the Nazi Foreign Minister,

UH mmvon Ribbentrop, is on his way back to Berlin following his four-day talks in Remo, the German newspapers are ' hinting that there will be talks with ether statesmen within the next few days which "will be fresh signs of new ’ developments." I It is suggested that there are to be 1 I talks concerning Bulgaria, Greece and : | Yugoslavia. < German newspapers declare that 1 Greece was not the main subject of : the Rome discussions. SUCCESSFUL RAIDS j MADE BY SOUTH AFRICANS. 5 ( ABORTIVE ENEMY EFFORTS. J (British Official Wireless.) 1 (Received This Day, 9.45 a.m.) I c RUGBY, September 23. * A Nairobi communique states: ' “South African Air Force squadrons ' successfully attacked Birikau. in ftal- c ian Somaliland, for the second time in a week. Direct hits were obtained on 1 a camp and fires were started. Other t South African aircraft carried out nor- t mal reconnaissances. From these op- c erations all our aircraft returned safe- < ly. ’ 1 "Early on Saturday Italian aircraft c attacked Isioto. in the Archer's Post 1 area in Kenya. A number of bombs f were dropped, but there were no mili-| s tai'v or air force casualties and no dam- I t