AGAIN BATTERED

Wairarapa Times-Age, 28 October 1941, Page 5

AGAIN BATTERED

ENEMY BASES IN LIBYA NIGHT AND DAY ATTACKS. OPERATIONS IN ABYSSINIA AND AT TOBRUK. LONDON, October 27. In the Middle East British bombers have turned their attention from Naples and renewed their attack on Benghazi and Tripoli. Direct hits were obtained on targets at both places on Saturday night. Yesterday the South African Air Force returned to Benghazi by daylight, and fires were started near the harbour. In Abyssinia, motor transport was bombed, and a big concentration of tanks and huts machine-gunned. From all these operations one plane is missing. Our land forces continue to harass the enemy in the Sindar area. Three more important chiefs from inside the Italian lines have declared themselves on the side of the Allies.

At Tobruk an enemy detachment 1 took one of our advanced listening posts - outside our defences, but the next ' night the post was again in our hands. On the Egyptian frontier our patrols entered two former defensive posts of the enemy without meeting with any resistance. RAIDS ON HARBOURS CONSIDERABLE DAMAGE DONE. (British Official Wireless.) (Received This Day, 10.3 a.m.) RUGBY, October 27. A R.A.F. Middle East communique states: “Further raids on the harbours of Tripoli and Benghazi were carried out by R.A.F. bombers during the night of October 25. At Tripoli a number of hits were obtained on the Karamanli Mole, and a searchlight was put out of action At Benghazi, fires on the Central and Juliana Moles followed the attack. “In daylight yesterday aircraft of the South African Air Force bombed buildings at Juliana Point, in Benghazi harbour. Many bombs fell among buildings, and fires broke out in the harbour area. “In the Guramba area of Abyssinia, enemy huts and trenches were bombed and machine-gunned on October 25. “An Italian Macchi 200 fighter has been found crashed in the sea off Malta, following upon an engagement on October 25, when our fighters intercepted a formation of enemy aircraft which attempted to approach the island. “From all the above-mentioned operations one of our aircraft is missing.” ACTIVITIES AT TOBRUK (British Official Wireless.) (Received This Day, 9.50 a.m.) RUGBY, October 27. A Cairo headquarters communique says: "At Tobruk on Saturday night there was no wholesale activity. During the previous night a strong enemy detachment overran a small listening post outside the eastern sector of our perimeter defences and presumably captured the British garrison of four men. Our patrols, operating on the following night, .recovered the post, which had been evacuated by the enemy. One Italian colonial soldier was captured. "In the frontier area of Libya our patrols, under cover of darkness, penetrated two enemy forward defended localities. In this operation the enemy detachments withdrew without offering resistance.”

ENEMY HARRIED IN LAST ABYSSINIAN STRONGHOLD. (British Official Wireless.) (Received This Day, 10.3 a.m.) RUGBY, October 27. _ A communique issued at Nairobi, from the East African air headquarters, states: “The South African Air Force continued operations in the Gondar area on October 23 and 24. Trenches were bom'bed and a heavy anti-aircraft position was silenced. On October 24, a CR42 was shot down in flames by a South African fighter pilot. All our planes returned safely.” A joint communique issued by the military command and air. headquarters in East Africa states: “Offensive patrols by our ground forces yesterday drew fire from enemy forward positions on the Gondar-Asmara road. We suffered no casualties. “Patriot forces continue to harass the enemy in the whole Gondar area and three more chiefs from inside the Italian lines have come over to our side, while others have announced their intention of joining us. The South African Air Force continued its operations against the enemy in the Gondar area on October 25. Motor transport and a large concentration of tents south of Gondar were successfully bombed and machine-gunned.” i A further joint communique announced: “Photographic reconnaissances were carried out by South African aircraft in an area south of Gondar on October 26 and several tents were machine-gunned. Ground patrol activity was continued.”