AFRICAN FRONT

Ashburton Guardian, Volume 61, Issue 113, 22 February 1941, Page 5

AFRICAN FRONT

OF VITAL IMPORTANCE. THE FALL OF EN JABARA. ITALIAN SUPPLIES HAMPERED. (United Press Association —-Copyright) (Received This. Day, 1.30 a.m.) LONDON, February 21. The reported fall of Eh Jabara in Abyssinia is regarded of more vital importance than .the capture of Dangila , as it compels tho Italians to uso tt roundabout route for supplies over unmade roads or ferry them across Lake Tsana. The British now have at thendisposal a magnificent motor road which the Italians have built in the last four years, for moving mechanised units and supplies to the escarpments. Furthermore, tho Royal Air Force now has a fine base not far from the capital, Addis Ababa. Three thousand Fascists fleeing .to Buryo are exposed to unceasing sniping by patriots, who are also blocking the roads with trees. MANY PRISONERS TAKEN. CAPTURES IN ERITREA. SUCCESSES IN SOMALILAND. (Received This Day, 11.35 a.m.) A’ Cairo communique states that. 107 medium Italian, tanks wore captured or destroyed in the battle south of Benghazi recently. The check of other war materials taken over in this extensive battle area is continuing. “On the Eritrean front between January 20' and February, 20 we captured 47 Italian officers, including a brigade commander, and 698 other ranks, and 5576 colonial troops. .In addition, many prisoners were taken in the areas of the Blue Nile, the Upper Nile, and the Gojjam. In Italian Somaliland, our troops again successfully forced the River Juba, north- of the original crossing. The operations from both bridgeheads are developing satisfactorily.— British Official Wireless. FREE FRENCH FORCES ACTIVE. / ABYSSINIAN PATRIOTS MOVE HOT 'PURSUIT OF ITALIANS - LONDON, February, 21. While the main fighting in Africa is going on in Italian Somaliland, units of ’. the Mediterranean Squadron of the Royal Navy ar.e conducting a silent but important' struggle along tho Libyan coast, and Free French forces have been in action in southern Libya. The Navy’s efforts have been largely successful in countering attempts by German aircraft to disrupt British sea lanes in the Mediterranean. The Germans are making repeated raids to interrupt work in making Italian ports in Libya ready for use, and a war correspondent reports that when he arrived at Benghazi aboard a British warship the port was being raided for the third time in 10 hours. * In southern Libya, Free French forces are reported to have been engaged ini a sharp action with Italians in the Kufra oasis area, the heart of the Libyan Desert. The Italian garrison made a sortie and mechanised units fought for three hours before the Italians retired, leaving war material and prisoners in. French hands. In Italian Somaliland, South African troops are, carrying out the concluding words of an Order of tho Day issued by their commander-in-chief (ILieut.enantrGeneral A. G. Cunningham), who said: “Hit them, hit them hard and hit them again.” General Cunningham is a brother of Admiral Sir Andrew Cunningham, 1 Commander-in-Chief of the Mediterranean Squadron. With the whole of Jubaland wrested from the Italians, ’■ South African troops have crossed the Juba river, and yesterday they drove-•back Italian counter-attacks. • Operations there are developing satisfactorily. Driving from the north toward Addis Ababa,- the Abyssinian patriot army has fought its way .to a point south of Lake Tsana about 20 miles from Burye,. an important Italian air base. In southern Abyssinia, South African troops have taken Mega, a fair-sized town 6600 feet above sea level, 30 miles inside the border and about 100 miles east of Lake Stefanie. It has an important road capable of carrying motor transport. The road leads south-east toward Moyale and north to Addis Ababa. The Italians in contact with the Abyssinian patriot army are in retreat and" are being hotly pursued by. Abyssimans, who are. firing on them, rolling boulders down from the heights upon them, and' blocking the roads with fallen trees. In addition, tho retreat is under fire from the machineguns of fighters of the Royal Air Force, ■which have also- dropped leaflets behind the Italian lines urging the Abyssinians to> rally to the patriot army. .Romo radio continues to' say that Italian soldiers at .Tarnbub, south of Bardia, are putting up a stubborn, resistance. What form the resistance takes is not known, for military circles in London are well aware that the garrison has been pursuing the usual Italian tactics in Libya. . . British operations for months past, it is pointed out, have consisted of just watching the Italian force and preventing ■it either bciing relieved or •escaping.. British troops have not attacked Jam-bub, for, indeed, this does not appear ns yet necessary. Boredom and the feeling of having been abandoned by their Government are the main dangers that, the garrison -it Jarabub has had to- face so far. Router’s correspondent in Libya estimates that 150,000 Italians have been captured in Libya.