ALLIES TAKE LEBANON PORT
Fall Of Sidon Admitted In Vichy Communique
Cairo Hopes CONGRESS
Of Peaceful INTEREST
Settlement
THE CAPTURE OF SIDON, THE LEBAN- ESE PORT 25 MILES SOUTH OF BEIRUT, WAS ADMITTED IN YESTERDAY'S FRENCH ARMY COMMUNIQUE, SAYS A VICHY TELE- GRAM TO THE OFFICIAL GERMAN NEWS AGENCY.
Meanwhile military circles in Cairo still hope for a "peaceful and amicable settle- ment" of everything in Syria.
Only sector where
IN PETROL
FOR JAPAN
[SPECIAL TO "CHINA MAIL"]
leaders
· Congressional in Washington are advo- [cating investigation of the State Department's policy of permitting shipments of oil and gasoline to Japan as the Maritime Commission issued a re- port declaring that American-owned or con- trolled tankers are carry-
noteworthy fighting took PUTTING THEM TO Aing oil directly or
place in Syria on Satur-
day
was along
Lebanon coast, says
the
а
Beirut French army com-
GOOD USE
Axis ships seized in
munique quoted by the ports will be used
German radio.
It was claimed there was a systematic bombardment by the British British Fleet as well as armoured car attacks in the Sidon district, but it is alleged the French troops are holding their positions.
Quiet In South
The communique says: "Our navy and air force undertook combined diversion overations against the British Fleet with good results."
The bombardment of Merj Ayoum continued all day with - out Eucces,
In southern Syria there was no fighting.
Beirut Calm
Complete calm reigns in Beirut. according to a report quoled by Ankara Radio, although many people have left the port for mountain resorts.
on
H
directly to the Axis.
no
in-
"f
Ickes, I
A congressional investigation is
as result being demanded threats of "gasless Sundays and heatless days" for the Eastern
Mr. Harold Mexican seaboard by
new Secretary of Interior.
Mr. Ickes has called a meeting Vera for Thursday of representatives of all branches of the petroleum In- dustry in order to make further of our petroleum International News
steamship service being inaugur- ated this week between Cruz and New York.
The vessels will call at Tum-effective use
(Mexico) and
pico (Cuba).- Reuter.
Havana resources.'
Service.
71
PILOT'S STORY OF SKAGERRAK TORPEDOING
AN ACCOUNT BY THE PILOT OF THE
In Damascus, the Syrian Prime BEAUFORT AIRCRAFT WHICH SCORED A Minister has issued a proclamation | DIRECT HIT WITH A TORPEDO ON A GER- inviting the people to remain
THE COAST OF cool and stating that the situa-MAN SBATTLESHIP OFF tion "in no way gives rise
toNORWAY GIVES A VIVID PICTURE OF THE anxiety" with every measure.
ARE A ROU- being taken to protect life and NIGHT OPERATIONS WHICH
TINE OF THE COASTAL COMMAND.
property.
Vichy-Admission
effort to alleviate the
The pilot › says: "Near midnight we had Admitting a forced retirement orders to push off with other aircraft from the from Sidon, yesterday's French Army Communique from Syria, Squadron. Carrying our torpedo slung issued in Vichy, says that in an
violent beneath us we started off. There was a bit pressure exercised on their coastal of moon but it was partly obscured and shone detachments, bombing 'planes twice attacked British 'ships caus- through the haze only occasionally. ing them momentarily to with-
"In some patches' of cloud you "There was not much time to draw from the coast.
.tactics. One des- This, it is claimed, greatly help-could see hardly anything but it think about ed their troops to hold Sidon was fairly light in the clear spaces.troyer was right in our way and until night time and to effect later We were well over the North Sea, I had to skid round its stern to
get a suitable angle to drop. on Saturday a "prescribed" with- when midnight came. drawal to positions further north
“You've Hit It” where, it is stated, Vichy" troops are obstinately resisting the powerful combined efforts the British Fleet and land forces."
of
Abou Kemal Captured
New air reinforcements from France are arriving in the Levant, declares the communique, which also claims that during the 'night of Friday and Saturday, Vichy air forces harrassed the Allies south of Sidon..
·
"We were flying pretty high as approached the coast of we southern Norway and found sever- al gaps in the clouds where the moon was breaking through.
"You could see the surface of the sea and as we came near one of these gaps we 'suddenly spotted a formation of enemy warships away down under the starboard wing.
!
"Next second I put the nose of the aircraft round and saw the battleship in my sight. I pressed the button on the throttle which released the torpedo.
"I made a sharp turn to port and opened my engines flat out. I was expecting a barrage flak at any moment,
of
AXIS TALKS HELD IN ROME
for
two
The meeting the purpose of Croa- tia's adherence to the Axis was called by Ribbentrop and Ciano to have long talks, according to a Rome telegram.
Ribbentrop also had a talk with the Japan- ese Ambassador to Italy. Reuter.
FIGHTING
ALONG
FRONTIER
(SPECIAL TO "CHINA MAIL")
AIR FORCE ACTIVITY IN SYRIA
Continued support is being given by aerial forces in the Syrian ad- vance, says a R.A.F. Mid- dle-East Communique, issued in Cairo yesterday, both to ground forces and naval supporting units off the coast.
R.A.F. fighters attacked German bombers and escorting fighter air- the craft which approached naval forces, the R.A.F. damaging several fighters and one bomber.
A number of other hostile air- craft were attacked and damaged near Rayak, and Allied bombers attacked hostile troops and motor-transport
area.
in the Mirgille
Aircraft of the Fleet Air Arm torpedoed an enemy vessel near Beirut.-Reuter.
ROOSEVELT
A British communique CALLS FOR
issued in Cairo yesterday
reports widespread fight- FAIR DEAL
ing along the Frontier between British and Free
Declaring he had
re-
French troops, and soi- +ceived complaints of
diers of the local and Vichy government.
The communique admitted the
nation-wide discrimina- tion against Negroes, Pre- advance had been considerably Sident Roosevelt yester- slowed up but claimed additional day called on the Office of
gains in the centre of the front.
It was last reported that the Production Management, British and Free French were on to deal effectively with a the outskirts of Damascus, but
grave
they were advancing at reduced situation "of speed in the face of heavy skirm-national importance." ishing with Vichy troops.
British and Anzac 'planes and British Fleet units from the Medi- terranean are supporting the land forces. International News Ser- vice.
MOPPING UP CONTINUES
It was stated authoritatively in Cairo yesterday that the Imper- ial operations against Italian remnants in Abyssinia continue slowly but satisfactorily though somewhat hampered by the rains. --Reuter.
ANOTHER RAID ON CHUNG KING
an
In a memorandum addressed to the co-directors of the Office, Messrs. Williams Knudsen and Sidney Hillman, the President says no nation combatting increasing threat of totalitarian- ism can afford arbitrarily to ex- clude large segments of the popu lation from defence industries..
Industry, the President declar- ed, must open the doors of em- ployment to all loyal qualified workers regardless of race, na- tional origin, religion or colour.
"I shall expect the Office of:
to take Production Management immediate steps to facilitate full ultilisation of Our productive manpower,
," the President added. -Reuter.
Chungking was again raided 100 bombs, resulting in nine be- shortly after 1 p.m. yesterday, ing killed and some 20 wounded, when 27 Japanese 'planes pene- while more than 100 houses were trated the city and dropped over demolished.--Central News,
R.A.F. KEEPS UP THE GOOD WORK
THE ROYAL AIR FORCE again--raided Calato aerodrome, on Rhodes, during the
"As we flow clear from the night of Friday/Saturday when a number of Axis ́planes in a dispersal area were set on fire, says an R.A.F. Middle East Communique issued in Cairo yesterday.
ship the rear gunner and wire. less operator shouted together: "You've hit it. There's a great column of water going up and dirty white-smoke.”.
Small Shapes White wakes trailing behind them caught our eyes first, and ALLIED TROOPS MADE NO then we saw the ships-small, ADVANCE IN THEMERJ black, slim shapes. AYOUM REGION AND IN THE "They were arranged in form- SECTOR SOUTH OF "DAMAS-ation, with the pocket battleship
"I flew round in a circle to see
and sure enough The same night, R.A.F. bombers aircraft were destroyed and damm CUS, BUT THE FALL OF ABOU in the middle and five escorting for myself KEMAL TO BRITISH TANKS, destroyers' around her.
there was plenty of smoke and a heavily attacked Benghazi and joged; and between Gazala and Capuzzo machine gunned and, SAID TO BE ADVANCING "One destroyer was right ahead patch of foam on the ship's track. started a number of fires.
Successful "When we were 'satisfied with
attacks were also destroyed 10 motor transport FROM IRAQ IS REFORTED TO and there were two more des-
on landing grounds at vehicles and damaged three arm- HAVE OCCURRED ON SATUR-trovers on each side, making a the result of our attack we made
a signal reporting it. DAY.
al prutty 'effevtive 'screen.
Benina, Gazala and-Derna, oured-fighting vehicles, bas REUTER
Continuous fighter patrols were South African.? fighters sho **We dived" to a few hundred "When we got home we heard
down one two-engined Mosser- ove"the sea and Taw at other aircraft had found the Ger- maintained during the day."
schmidt in the Sofad area'mi right angles across the sterns of man force after we had attacked Fighter aircraft participated in
machine gunned, and damaged At least 78: Axis aircraft were two destroyers, bringing up at it. The ships had stopped by daylight raids on the Gazala aero-
a Bavbla bomber on the' grðu destroyed by the R.A.F. and Navy the rear. That put us on. the then and were trying to hide drome where a number of enemy
near Bares Sorit. in Europe and the Middle East port tide of the formation, themselves behind a smoke screen
Skagerrak' and was limping home. From these and the Sy during the week ending Saturday,We made a right about turn to made by the destroyers.
lanés! are, "Still later we learned the at reduced speed." British operations, ve Allied RAF. losses amounted to 46 starboard and came straight back
missing, Reuter, in all theatres of war-Reuter. on its "beam.
formation had turned back to the Wireless,
WEEK'S BAG
made
No comments yet.
Private notes are available after approval.