Cairo, June 14.
Australian" Air Force machines emerged triumphant from a fierce battle against Axis warplanes off the coast of Syria yesterday. shooting Jdown three Junkers 88 and damaging others, according to a special communique issued from the RAF. Mtl dle East Command, Australian fighters attacked eight Jor nine Junkers 88 bearing Italian Beirut Warned Before Raid London, Sune 14.
"Warning! At three o'clock tomorrow British planes will bomb Beirut. General Staff headquarters, oil depots and the following objectives will be bombed.
Arabs are warned that these areas should be evacuated."
This message was dropped in Jeaflet form by RAF. planes over Beirut on June 8. Promptly at three o'clock on June 9 Britsh aircraft appeared over Beirut and heavily bombed the specified district Reuter.
General Petit expressed the of ion that the arrival of the British and Free French in Syria would have {remendous repercussions among the people in' France and in French North Africa. "Results can already lye seen from the recent speech by Admiral Darlan (Vichy Vice-Premiet and Foreign Minister), in which he isolosed that he is and Fealizes that he cannot carry out his original policy of uniting the French with Germany to Aght Britain.
"tt is not expected that General Weygand will do anything that goes distinguishing marks which had_ tended attacking a naval squadron three miles west of Sidon. Four of the enemy planes dived and dropped {their bombs, but-the remainder jet~ tisaned their loads and retreated hastily.
The Australians shot down three JJunkers and serious damage was iloted on others, one of which few off with Its wings on fire. The Ausfralians suffered no loss or damage.
Reuter.
Text read from the printed page and cleaned; old type leaves the occasional error.