ATTACK ON RUTBA

Wairarapa Times-Age, 13 May 1941, Page 5

ATTACK ON RUTBA

SUCCESSFUL BRITISH AIR OPERATIONS LAND FORCE RACED ACROSS DESERT. HABBANIA NO LONGER UNDER FIRE. (By Telegraph—Press Association—Copyright) LONDON, May 11. The British ultimatum to Rutba this morning called on the garrison to surrender within an hour. The plane delivering it was fired on, and the ultimatum was ignored. British planes began bombing the fort after an hour, one of the first bombs landing outside the gates. The British attacking force from the ground consisted of local levies and also a detachment of a British eastern counties regiment which had been flown from Palestine. This force raced across the desert under cover of night, reaching positions before dawn a few thousand yards from the walls of the fort. The ground force after the attack began sometimes made things difficult for the air force by pressing dangerously close to the fort. The Iraqui garrison was small and consisted chiefly of police armed with machine-guns who previously had been entrusted with the guarding of the fort against the rebels and then went over to the rebels. The British frontier force and an Arab force from Transjordania are at present scouring both sides of the western frontier with the object of mopping up guerrilla forces which may be forming. The Iraquis at Habbania can no longer shell the British positions, whereas the British have been using the aerodrome from the outset of the hostilities. Our planes are also using a polo ground on the outside perimeter of the base.