Evening star., 1941-01-20
Gayda Forecasts
War Development
In Mediterranean
Axis Combining Air Force
To Beat Britain There,
Fascist Editor Says
By the Associated Press.

49, N1S AAs5SNAotSh tCoo'
ROME, Jan. 20.-Virginio Gayda
often the editorial sounding board
OF axis policy, indicated today that
Germany and Italy were combining
forces in the Mediterranean in an
attempt to defeat the British there
at present the main theater of war
THE axis in the Mediterranean
Is assuring that the war will con-
tlnue to develop in this area with
increased forces capable of facing
and beating down increased enemy
forces" Gayda wrote in the news
paper II Giornale dItalia.
CThis assertion paralleled dis
closure by informed sources in
Berlin that Adolf Hitler and
Benato MuSsolini met today. 1t
was assumed in Berlin that the
Greek war, combined Italian
German activities in the Medi-
terranean and the battle of
Britain came under discussion)
Gayda's statement appeared with
a high command communique which
reported another attack yesterday
on the damaged British aircraft
carrier Illustrious. 1t said German
dive bombers attacking the $4,000
ton warship in Valletta harbor,
Malta, also sank merchantmen.
Italian Aid Is Cited.
Referring particularly to the Ger
man Air Corps, newly active in the
Mediterranean, Gayda said lit is
natural for considerable groups of
German forces to take their place
beside italian forces to fight to-
gether" after italian planes and
submarines aided Germany's attack
on Britain and British shipping.
German and Italian fighter planes
escorting the Stukas shot down six
British planes. the daily commun-
ique said, while four German bomb
ers and one Italian fighter plane
failed to return.
(The British said Is raiders
were shot down, while only one
of their fighters was missing.)
The war bulletin said ships in
the Lay, the arsenal, and port
works were hit repeatedly by the
German dive bombers at Valletta.
The intensity of the repeated Ger
man air attacks on Malta was re-
garded in some foreign circles as in
dicating an intention to hammer
that British island stronghold in
the Mediterranean in the hope of
forcing its surrender within the next
few weeks.
Two Cruisers Claimed.
Stefani, official Italian news
agency, said Italian authorities had
learned two British cruisers we're
sunk in the air attack in the Straits
OF Sicily 10 days ago, instead of
only one.
The first cruiser was hit by Italian
dlve-bombers southeast of PAN
tellaria Island January 10 and the
second by German bombers east of
Malta the next day, Stefani said.
The ships we're of the same type,
the agency added, and therefore it
was impossible to ascertain which
was the Southampton, whose loss
was announced by the British Ad-
miralty last week.
It was in the same fighting that
the Italians claimed to have dam
aged the Illustrious.
Italian City Bombed.
(The British said the 9,100-ton
Southampton had been sunk by
British forces when fire made it
necessary to abandon ship. They
added that the majority of the
crew was saved)
British planes were reported to
have dropped "Molotoff breadbas-
kets" of incendiary bombs on city
in Southern Italy.
Two civilians were reported in
jured slightly Military works in the
city, which was not identified in the
commuique, were said to have been
unchanged.
Bad weather was said to have
continued to hamper operations on
the Albanian front.
The high command reported a
mass attack by the British on an
unidentified Italian post on the
Sudanese front was repulsed.
CThe British announced they
had recaptured the Anglo-Egypt-
ian Sudan town of Kassala which
the Italians had held since July)
Except for an italian lombard
ment of British forces near the