BRILLIANT FEAT.

Ashburton Guardian, Volume 61, Issue 187, 22 May 1941, Page 6

BRILLIANT FEAT.

CAPTURE OF AMBA ALAGA. PRAISE IN BRITISH PRESS. LONDON, May 20. Commenting on the surrender of Amba Alnga, the “Daily Telegraph says: The, campaign is likely to stand out as one of the finest feats in our military history. There have been no j /sudden swift successes for the British forces engaged,' and they have had to fight hard to win every position they gained in the mountainous country, which offered every natural advantage to the defence, . “They wore opposed by the one Italian general who measured up to the boasting Italian dictator. The Duke of Aosta has proved himself an able soldier with a high capacity for leadership. t > , ;' • • “When steps have been taken to give the remaining defenders at Jimma and Gondar news of the collapse at Amba Alaga, the moral effect is likely to be decisive in bringing the Abyssinian operations to an end. “The . campaign has proved the sterling military quality of British forces from two far separated and dissimilar regions of the-Empire. The South Africans and Indians have covered themselves with glory.’’ The “Daily Mail” says “The Italians now have had more than 400,000 men put out of action in the two campaigns in Libya and Abyssinia. In our drive to Benghazi 200,000 of II Duce’s soldiers were killed wounded or captured—most of them Italians. Mussolini had another 300,000 men in Abyssinia, about 100,000 of them Italians. In 94 days’ fighting we have put out of action more than 200,000 of them, including almost all the Italians. Most of the native troops wlio are not casualties or prisoners, - have deserted.”—British Official Wireless.