FRONTIER THREAT

Wairarapa Times-Age, 1 May 1941, Page 5

FRONTIER THREAT

AXIS FORCES STILL HELD NEAR SOLIUM / Constant Naval Watch on Coast ENEMY CONCENTRATIONS FREQUENTLY SHELLED HEAVY BAG OF ENEMY PLANES LAST MONTH LONDON, April 30. A report from Cairo states that the three enemy columns which crossed the Egyptian frontier last Saturday are still held up five miles east of Solium. The British Navy is keeping a watchful eye on the enemy and warships have frequently shelled points on the coast where concentrations were observed. The R.A.F. made a heavy attack on Benina aerodrome, where many German troop-carrying’ planes were seen on the ground. Bombs burst among a number of enemy aircraft. Enemy aircraft at Derna were also attacked and a further raid was made on Benghazi, where a number of explosions were caused. At Tobruk anti-aircraft guns have shot down three enemy planes in the last two days. In Abyssinia the rounding up of Italians continues. Another isolated garrison has been captured. Enemy troops, motor transport and aerodromes have been attacked from the air. As many as 252 enemy planes were destroyed in the Middle ' East during April. The highest total was in the Western Desert, where 81 machines were shot down by fighters, and 11 by antiaircraft fire and 31 were destroyed on the ground. In East j Africa, British troops discovered 46 planes destroyed by air I attack. A great deal of this damage was done by the South African Air Force.