Evening star., 1940-06-22
WorpIones Bomb
Allied Fleet at
Alexandra
BY the Associated Press.

Italian bombers sprayed explosives
over Alexandria's harbor early to-
day in Italy's first attempt to blast
the British and French fleet here,
but no warships were hit and most
of the bombs fell harmlessly into
the sea.
Anti-aircraft guns Of the British
and French fleets went into action
when the first group of tri-motored
bombers appeared at lis and Brit
ish fighter planes went up.
(This dispatch indicated that
at least part of the French fleet,
whose whereabout have been un-
reported since France requested
an armistice with Germany and
Italy. is still cooperating with
the British and is based beside
British warships in Alexandria.)
The Italians dropped a score of
bombs in three appearances. One
struck an Arab home near Mo-
harreb Bay and others demolished
three homes at Chatby Beach, a
half-mile from the heart of the
city.
Anti-aircraft fire and fighter
planes forced the Italians to veer
eastward along Alexandria's water
front. where civilian casualties were
reported.
A British naval communique later
said two persons were killed and %
were injured. The injured included
two Italians. the British added.
Planes approaching from the
western desert gave Alexandria its
fourth air raid alarm in "a hours,
but anti-aircraft fire turned them
back.
British Active In Africa.
British airplanes and soldiers also
were active in Africa. The Royal
Air Force at Cairo reported q bonn
bardment yesterday ct Tobruk, Ital-
ian Libya, was followed by the squirt
Of heavy smoke from q large war
ship in the harbor.
The r. A. F. also reported success
full raids on Ell Alden and Ell Gubba,
Italian bases in Libya.
Several aircraft were seen afire on
the ground after the attack on both
places" the British communique
said. "Other small fires were start
ed. One of our planes is missing.
I'm the space of nine hours Malta
was raided five times yesterday.
There were three attacks by single
aircraft, one by two machines and
the other by 10 planes. There were
40 casualties and no damage.
"The Macaaca Airdrome was again
attacked and damaged. Carussa,
Kenya, was bombed early yesterday.
There was no damage, no casualties"
Also from Cairo came a British
report that British forces patrolling
the Northern Kenya frontier cap
tured an Italian post and destroyed
well-stocked barracks. An Italian
collnterattack with one armored
fighting vehicle was held off while
the WORK was completed, the British
said. The British reported three
soldiers were slightly wounded.
Many Egyptians, indignant over
the casualties and damages caused
by the raid in what they termed a
violation of Premier Mussolini's
pledge not to attack Egypt, expressed
belief that a declaration of war by
Egypt against Italy now was only
matter of hours.
Mussolini, in declaring war upon
Britain and France June 10, said he
would not attack Egypt so long as
she remained neutral. Later Egypt,
bound to Britain by a military al
lance, broke of diplomatic rela-
tions with Mussolini and warned
him she would go to war if the
Italians attack Egyptian troops or
territory.
Another Egyptian city-Cairo-
was visited by Italian planes, but
no bombs were dropped. 1t was
Cairo's first air raid alarm of the
war Four persons were hurt by
shrapnel from the anti-aircraft fire.
Hundreds of persons still in the
streets of Alexandria went to shell
(See ALEXANDRIA, Page A-1O)