RECENT FIGHTING

Ashburton Guardian, Volume 56, Issue 122, 5 March 1936, Page 5

RECENT FIGHTING

THE TEMBIEN CASUALTIES. ITALIAN ESTIMATE GIVEN. BADOGLIO'S OPINION OF SELASSIE, (United Press Association—Copyright.) (Received This Day, 1.5 p.m.) ASMARA, March 4. The Italian General Staff estimates the casualtv list in connection with the battles at fembien from February 15 to yesterday, covering the battles at Euderta or" Amba Aradam, Amba Alagi, and Takkaze as 30,000 Abyssinians killed or wounded, and 2000 Kalian killed.

Marshal Badoglio extols the bravery of the Italian troops in crushing the northern Abyssinian resistance to pieces, leaving "miserable remnants" of four armies. He expresses the opinion that the Emperor Haile Selassie will not go down in history as a great general.

CHAIN OF VICTORIES. CLAIMS BY THE ITALIANS. AFTER VIOLENT FIGHTING. LONDON, March 3. The Italians claim to have completed the chain of victories in northern Abyssinia by defeating the armies of Ras Imru, Haile Selassie's cousm, and.Ras Aylu, who in the middle of December successfully attacked the Italians at Maitimehet and forced them back 18 miles. Correspondents accompanying the Italian armies declare that the Italian drive against Ras Imru began on February 29, when the Gavianana Division of the Second Army Corps and the First Army Corps simultaneously began an encircling movement in the region adjoining the Eritrean frontier. The Gavianana Division immediately made contact with the enemy, and violent fighting followed. . The Italian artillery wrought havoc among the Abyssinians, killing at least 2500. «

On March 1 the second corps continued the converging advance with artillery and machine-guns, repelling Abyssinian counter-attacks and securing a dominating, position, while the Fourth Army Corps, with the Cosseria division and the fifth Blackshirt division, occupied the village of Abdabo without, resistance. . Meanwhile, the first corps made a forced march to the battle area, supplied with food and water bv air.

On March 2.Ras Imru made a last desperate stand and flung 10,000 troops against the Italian lines; but waves of the attackers withered before machine-gun fire- from the ground and from the air.

The Abyssinian collapse was completed when the second and fourth corps joined on the morning. of March' 3, catching the Abyssinians between two fires and scattering the survivors, who fled towards the fords of the Takkazze River, pursued by aircraft.

Italian headquarters report heavy bombing of the survivors of the armies of Ras Kassa and Ras Seyoum, who are attempting to leave their hiding places.

EMPEROR'S VERSION OF RETREAT DRAWING ON THE ITALIANS. ACTIONS IN DIFFICULT AREA. LONDON, March 3. A "Times" copyright message from Addis Ababa says that the Emperor; telephoning to the Palace from the front, declared that the Italian story of a second purge of Temhien was fabricated in order to divert attention to Geneva toward conciliation instead of strengthening sanctions. The Emperor added that Ras Kassa and Ras Seyoum broke up their joint camp last week on Imperial orders to retire whenever the Italians advanced in force, but to fight rearguard actions in difficult country. First Seyoum, and then Kassa, realised that they were confronting two army corps, and fell back toward Takkazo, which portion of the armies crossed in order to obtain supplies. The remainder have not left the western bank of the Tembien. Their retreat is described as orderly, with dogged cunning, aiming to draw out the Italians as far as possible along their single line of communications before the rains. The Abyssinian losses were not heavy.

ITALIAN CONSUL'S SPEECH. INDIGNATION IN CANADA. OTTAWA. March 3. The Prime Minister (Mr W. L. Mackenzie King), declaring that the Con-sul-General (Signor Luxiji Petruchi) in attacking the League of Nations and Canada's policy regarding, sanctions, was ill-advised' and highly improper, issued a warning in the House of Commons that repetition will result in a request to Italy to withdraw the Consul-General. Mr Woodsworth alleged that Italians in Canada were being organised by the Consul-General into a secret organisation, taking an oath of loyalty to Signor Mussolini.

A cablegram published yesterday stated "that in a speech at Montreal Signor Petrucci made an attack on the League of Nations, criticising Canada's approval of sanctions.