HEAVILY DAMAGED

Wairarapa Times-Age, 14 October 1940, Page 7

HEAVILY DAMAGED

ITALIAN NAVAL & OTHER BASES R.A.F. AND SOUTH AFRICAN OPERATIONS. HAVOC IN LIBYAN PORTS. (British Official Wireless.) RUGBY, October 12. Highly successful raids on Benghazi and Tobruk, where important military objectives were bombed, are . described in an R.A.F. communique issued in Cairo:— Attacking waves our aircraft were successful in causing great damage at Benghazi without loss,” says the communique. “One ship moored alongside the breakwater received a direct hit and was set ablaze. A military station was hit and set on fire, and several other fires broke out among warehouses. “Last evening our bombers made another attack on Tobruk. Bombs were seen to fall on a quay and others close to the stern of a large ship, and direct hits were made on another ship despite heavy anti-aircraft fire.” Extensive reconnaissance flights were also made over Libya. In Eritrea, Asmaratuas was again raided, bombs falling among hangars and other buildings, Gura was raided on October 10 and 11. On the first day there was a large fire, with two explosions, and two small fires were also started.' On the second day, when Maiadaga was also raided, all the bombs fell in the target area. ’ Aircraft of the South African Air Force were again active over Abyssinia and Italian Somaliland. Ne■ghelli, in Abyssinia, was raided for the fifth time. Heavy bombs dropped among the aerodrome buildings and direct hits were registered. Considerable damage was caused to Italian motoi - transport in this area. Birikau, Italian Somaliland, was bombed for the fourth time. Italian aircraft attempted raids in the Wasir and Lodwar area, but these were unsuccessful, causing no damage or casualties. From all these operations the British aircraft returned safely. A headquarters communique in Cairo says a mechanised patrol attacked the enemy at Gebelgamal, in the Sudan, on October 9 and 10, leaving 18 dead. The British casualties were one killed and one wounded. ITALIAN CLAIMS A communique issued in Rome says: "Motorised reconnaisseurs in North Africa captured two fully-equipped tanks abandoned by the enemy. Our air formations bombed aerodromes and railway installations eastward from Sidi Barrani and Mersa Bagush, and also bombed El Kassada. Our planes returned. ‘■The enemy bombed Benghabi. Barida and Sidi Barrani. Five civilians were injured and the Roman Catholic cathedral at Banghazi was damaged. The enemy also bombed Burgawa in Somaliland. Negelli, Guara. Gurane, Adivlgi and Assab. causing slight damage.” i