Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1940-11-11
Two British Naval
Squadrons Bombed,
Italians Claim
Two Cruisers Declared
Hit by Explosives Off
Northwest End Of Crete
BY the Associated Press.

BY the Associated Press.
ROME, Nov. 1l-Italian bombers
attacked two British naval squad
ronS, one in the Gulf of Suda, off
the Greek Island of Crete. and the
other in the Central Mediterranean,
the italian high command reported
today.
Two cruisers we're said to have
been hit by bombs in the attack
off the northwest end of Crete.
italian warplanes also were
credited with bombing Alexandria,
FL Hannah, e. Daba, British de-
fenSive preparations south of Ma
truth, and air bases near Cairo and
at Ismailia, in Africa.
Two italian planes were said TO
have failed to return from another
attack on the British base on the
island of Malta.
Anti-Aircraft Violent.
An Italian communique said the
British naval squadron "overtaken
by one Of our aerial squadrons in
the Central Mediterranean" was
"intensively bombed despite vio-
lent anti-aircraft reaction"
A communique yesterday declared
that British battleship and air.
craft carrier were struck with heavy
bombs in a fierce attack by Italian
bombing formations in the Central
Mediterranean.
In the attack on Crete, land tar
gets as well as the two cruisers in
the gulf were reported TO have been
hit. The raids in that part OF the
Mediterranean were said to have
been hampered somewhat by I'M
favorable weather conditions.
The communique said port equip
ment was damaged in the bombing
of the British naval base at Alexan-
dria. Fires we're started in the at
tacks on British airdromes in At
RIGA, it added, and railway lines be-
tween FL Quassaba, Maatteen, Ba-
gush and Fuka. in British African
territory, were bombed.
British ships were said to have
pombarded italian positions at Sid
Barrani, Egypt. without causing
victims or damage" and British
armored cars were reported put to
flight" less than 20 miles southwest
Of that Italian base.
Gallabat, fort town On the Ethi-
opia-Sudan border, which the Ital-
ians reported recapturing after be.
ing forced out by the British. was
said to have been bombarded by
British artillery The Italians re-
ported they still held the town.
Gen. Ubaldo Soddu. 57-year-
old veteran of every Italian mill
tary campaign since 1900, has taken
command of the Fascist drive into
Greece. apparently under instruc-
tons from Premier MuSsolini to get
the slowed invasion back into high
gear.
Gen. Soddu, Mussolini's under
secretary of war, went to Albania
in a change which the Fascist editor
Virginia Gayda declared yesterday
meant the campaign would be
speeded at once.
British dispatches Saturday
from Athens said captured Ital-
ian officers reported that Gen.
Visconti Prasca had been in
charge of the Italian campaign
in Greece
At the same time, the Italians
announced their first use of cavalry
- 81 -
Mounted detachments we're said to
have struck swiftly into the north
ern Epirus in the vicinity of the
Voiousa River, and were credited
with capturing Greek artillery and
arms.
A Stefani. official Italian news
agency, dispatch from Morocco said
last night an sos call had been
heard from British warship,
believed to be cruiser torpedoed in
the Mediterranean off Sicily.
Strengthened anti-aircraft de-
lenses were credited with beating off
British bombers which tried to
attack Naples early yesterday.
Bombs were dropped, however. at
Cremona. famed for its violin
makers, in the vicinity of Mount
Vesuvius, between Naples and
Pompeii, and near Tore Annun-
ciata, macaroni center.
The high command reported
yesterday italian forces, counter
attacking with strong reinforce
ments, recaptured the frontier fort
at Gallabat on the Ethiopian-Sudan
border, which the British seized
November T.
italian authorities asserted today
that Italy's forces had destroyed at
least SIS enemy" planes since her
entrance into the war, while losing
only "a planes.