ITALIANS HARRIED

Wairarapa Times-Age, 26 October 1940, Page 7

ITALIANS HARRIED

R.A.F. ACTIVITIES IN EOVPT & SEDAN PLANES & OTHER MATERIAL DESTROYED. MILITARY CONCENTRATIONS DIVE-BOMBED. I By Telegraph —Press Association —Copyright) CAIRO, October 24. An R.A.F. communique states: “We again raided Gura, hit buildings and dumps and started a large fire which guided following planes to the targets. Other bombers raided Asmara aerodrome, where bombs were dropped on grounded planes, motor transport vehicles and buildings were set on fire. A big fire followed the bombing of a target north-westward of Gondar aerodrome. “We dive-bombed military concentrations at Tessenei, near Kassala, and hit buildings at Massawa. TroojD concentrations at Sidi Barrani were bombed but the full effect of the attack could not be observed because of ground haze. All the planes returned.” Enemy planes raided Alexandria and Port Said. Few bombs were dropped. One fisherman was killed and one injured. PUNISHING BLOW STRUCK BY BRITISH PATROL. ENEMY FORCE SURPRISED. CAIRO. October 25. The successful action in which a British motorised patrol in the Sudan inflicted very heavy casualties on an enemy force of 1,000 occurred near Jebel Abugabel, south-eastward of Kassala and near the Eritrean frontier post of Tessenei. The enemy casualties were 50 killed and 400 wounded out of 1000 troops. There were no British casualties. The engagement was the outcome of an unsuccessful Italian attempt to ambush a British patrol. Anticipating a repetition of the attempt, the British sent a machine-gun company from the Sudan defence force, consisting of two armoured cars and four trucks. The patrol went in the same direction as on the previous night, but by different tracks. The enemy force was surprised by the armoured cars, which fired from 100 yards. The trucks moved to the other flank and also engaged the enemy from 100 yards.