SYRIAN ADVANCE

Wairarapa Times-Age, 14 June 1941, Page 6

SYRIAN ADVANCE

FREE FRENCH PROGRESS ITALIANS & GERMANS MOVING OUT. MANY VICHY TROOPS IN HANDS OF ALLIES. <Ey Telegraph—Press Association—Copyright) (Received This Day, 11.0 a.m.) LONDON. June 13. The Free French are encircling Jiswe and have taken two nearby villages. Tiie Australians have advanced beyond Merjiyun. Between 700 and 800 French troops are in the hands of the Allies. The Vichy news agency states that despite the continuation of a severe bombardment of the Syrian coast, British and Free French forces have not succeeded in making any fresh progress. A British United Press message from Alexandretta states that the Italian Consul-General at Beirut and Consuls at Damascus and Aleppo are among a party which has arrived there from Syria. A member of the staff said 26 Germans of high rank left Aleppo Aerodrome on June 11.

The Italian Ambassador to Iraq and the entire Legation staff, besides the members of an Italian military mission are among 70 Italians who crossed the frontier on June 11.

AUSTRALIANS IN ACTION DIVE-BOMBERS SHOT DOWN. OFF THE SYRIAN COAST. CAIRO. Juno 13. Three enemy dive-bombers were shot down and others were damaged by Royal Australian Air Force fighters off the Syrian coast. Eight or nine enemy planes were about to attack British naval forces when they were intercepted by the Australian fighters. Four planes dived and dropped their bombs, but the others jettisoned their bombs and retired in haste. The Australian airmen suffered no losses. In a raid on the island of Rhodes, a large petrol fire was started and bombs fell among a number of enemy aircraft on the ground.

IN ERITREA 950 PRISONERS TAKEN. FOLLOWING ON CAPTURE OF ASSAB. (Received This Day, 11.5 a.m.) RUGBY. June 13. A communique issued from British headquarters in Cairo states that there is nothing of importance to report in. the Solium area.. For the second time within the last few days our patrols captured a German armoured car. "Following on our capture of Assab,” it is added, “950 prisoners have been taken. ‘•All is quiet in Iraq.”