BRITISH ARMY READY

Press, Volume LXXVI, Issue 23140, 2 October 1940, Page 9

BRITISH ARMY READY

DEFENCE POSITIONS IN EGYPT WAITING FOR ITALIAN ATTACK (UNITED PRESS ASSOCIATION —COPYRIGHT.) (Received October 2, 12.40 a.m.) ) LONDON, October 1. The correspondent of the “Daily Telegraph” who travelled 200 miles by road from Alexandria to the defence line in the Western Desert, says the British Army is patiently waiting to do battle with the Italian forces. “Just one hour’s drive from here,'* he writes, “across the savage broken plain, Mussolini has piled up a store of arms ready to break on Egypt Masses of Italian army vehicles are gathered in the Sidi Barrani sector. Red-cloaked Bedouin tribesmen are leading their flocks and little groups of timid, sloe-eyed wives deep into the desert for safety. Here and there a camel has blundered on a land-mine and its carcase lies rotting in the sun. “The gunnery of the Italians is good. A British brigadier told me that they use artillery very quickly and soundly, and also handle their motorcycles and side-cars effectively. A mass of them ride about 3000 yards ahead of an advancing column, and disperse among the rocks when they confront opposition, and await their supports. “But the whole Italian advance has been slow, simple, and laboured, covering only about five miles a day.” The correspondent adds: “Our dugouts have been increased and deepened. The defenders-have become immune from attack from the air, but not from rats which infest the trenches'.

Feverish work is proceeding on th# construction of roads west of Sidi Barrani. but our bombers are constantly harassing the Italian roadmen." A Nairobi communique issued on Monday night says that units of the South African Air Force on Saturday carried out a third successful raid on an objective at Ipwlian, in Somalilapd. Direct hits were scored pn administrative buildings by high-explo-sive and incendiary bombs and some buildings were burned out. Other squadrons carried out reconnaissances, from which there is nothing to report. All the aeroplanes returned safely. An Italian communique states that an Italian merchantman was sunk by a submarine, which was subsequently sunk by a torpedo-boat. British aeroplanes raided'areas in Somaliland and Eritrea.