MUCH DAMAGE DONE

Wairarapa Times-Age, 25 July 1942, Page 3

MUCH DAMAGE DONE

IN NAVAL BOMBARDMENT OF MERSA MATRUH ENEMY LOSSES OF SHIPS & SMALL CRAFT. USE OF PORT AND BASE HINDERED. (British Official Wireless.) (Received This Day, 10.22 a.m.) RUGBY, July 24. In addition to blasting harbour installations and buildings at Mersa Matruh, British naval guns were responsible for blowing up an ammunition ship outside the harbour, sinking a petrol vessel in the harbour and also destroying a number of lighters and other small vessels. The only opposition encountered so far by the bombarding warships has been shrapnel from anti-aircraft guns, which the defenders fire as low as possible over the ships, hoping that shell-bursts will cause casualties and damage. The enemy’s E-boats were easily beaten off and finally escaped in the darkness, behind a smoke screen, without having opened fire. British naval aircraft play an important part in the bombardments, spotting the fall of shells. The naval bombardments of Mersa Matruh have the double objective of destroying material and as far as possible stopping the enemy using Mersa Matruh as a port and base for workshops, etc. EIGHTH ARMY COMMENT ON REMARKABLE RECOVERY. (British Official Wireless.) (Received This Day, 10.22 a.m.) RUGBY, July 24. The heavy attack by the Eighth Army has evoked praise of the remarkable recovery it has made since its reverses of last month. The “Daily Telegraph” says the recovery has been astonishingly swift and complete. “The Times” writes: “In putting the value of his recuperative work to the present crucial test, General Auchinleck must have required to calculate with special accuracy 'the moment for his counter-' stroke. Both armies had to be refitted and reinforced. If the process were al-, lowed to continue for long, the balance must be in favour of the enemy, with his short sea route across the Mediterranean, contrasted with the long passage round the Cape.”