ITALIAN FLANK SMASHED

Press, Volume LXXVI, Issue 23202, 13 December 1940, Page 9

ITALIAN FLANK SMASHED

British Strategy In Attack PART TAKEN BY R.A.F. (UWITID PRSSB ASSOCIATION—CO PTSIOHT.) (Received December 12, 11 p.m.) LONDON, December 12. The British success at Sidi Barrani is (he outcome of weil-planned strategy, in which British armoured units first attacked the enemy’s right flank and then forced their way to the rear, while a fierce British frontal attack was launched against the enemy’s positions at Maktila, 15 miles to the east. This frontal attack was completely successful. The Italians, finding themselves cut off from the rear and attacked from all sides, became demoralised. The capture of Sidi Barrani can rightly be claimed as a great victory in the early stages of the British offensive, further weakening Italian morale. It will also tremendously affect both Arab opinion, which Signor Mussolini has assiduously striven to cultivate, and political developments in ,the Balkans. How the Royal Air Force co-operated in Allied troop movements is described in a communique from Cairo, which tells how British machines bombed Italian aerodromes and bases for 24 hours without a break. Italian camps, troops, and transport were battered in support of the army operations, and every Italian aerodrome in the Western Desert was attacked. "Throughout the. whole of Tuesday and the previous night,’’ states the communique, "Royal Air Force aircraft continued the bombardment of all Italian aerodromes in the Libyan desert, In addition to enemy camps, troop concentrations and motor transports were repeatedly attacked in support of the army operations. During yesterday five Fiat CR 42 fighters and one Breda RO 37 fighter were definitely shot down, while three other CR 42’s were seen to go down out of control. Four confirmed and two unconfirmed losses of these aircraft went to the credit of a squadron of the Royal Australian Air Force. ‘in addition, a number of enemy aircraft were destroyed on the El Aden aerodrome as a result of a particularly heavy raid last night. High explosives set fire to several hangars and smaller buildings, and direct hits were also registered on dispersed aircraft, a number of which were seen to explode. The fires started were visible for a distance of 60 miles as the last aircraft approached the target. “In the Bardia and Solium area last night many bombs were dropped on motor transport concentrations and retreating enemy troops, “At Bir Sofafl, during the day, an enemy camp was heavily bombed. Fleet Air Arm’s Work “Aircraft of the Fleet Air Arm, cooperating with the Royal Air Force, attacked the barracks at Bardia and the escarpment road at Solium, while other aircraft bombed the landing ground. One enemy aircraft on the ground at Gazala was destroyed, bringing the total to 10 without reckoning an unknown number destroyed or badly damaged. “During these continuous air operations only one of our aircraft failed to return.’’ While the Allied forces arc attacking the Italians in the north of the Libyan frontier, Free French forces are menacing II Duce’s troops in the south, according to a communique issued from the Free French headquarters. The communique states: "In the district of Sidi Barrani advance units of the French Free troops are taking part in the successful offensive of our British allies. We have taken a number of prisoners and war material. The First Battalion of Marines, which is fighting in Egypt, has been specially mentioned in an army order by General de Gaulle. On the frontier of Chad and Libya, Free French forces have completely occupied the zone of French territory which should have been evacuated under the armistice terms.’’ More French colonial troops are going to the Western Desert, where they will fight side by side with the British. General de Gaulle has taken over the whole of French Equatorial Africa and the Cameroons, where there are a considerable number of Free French troops well trained in desert warfare. Initiative Taken It is pointed out in Ankara that with the launching of the attack against the Italians in Egypt, the initiative in the Mediterranean has now passed from the Italians to the British. Italy, who was making a drive to the Suez Canal, is now on the defensive. In Abyssinia the Royal Air Force is hampering the Italians. British bombers did serious damage to the Addis Ababa-Jibuti railway at a point near the French Somaliland frontier. Direct hits were made on the station buildings as well as on railway trucks. Further in Eritrea* raids were made on Assab, the Italian Red Sea port, where damage previously done was considerably added to. Photographs taken of the raid show that the port has suffered heavy damage. TROOPS INVALIDED HOME NEW ZEALANDERS AND AUSTRALIANS SYDNEY, December 12. Carrying about 340 Australian and New Zealand soldiers and Australian naval ratings from the Mediterranean area, the first Australian hospital ship to return since the war began has arrived at an Australian port. Most of the men aboard are able to walk, but there are some cot cases. Some of the returning troops have been wounded and others are returning for ordinary medical treatment. An Australian captain said that the morale of the troops in Egypt was at its highest point. WIDE POWERS TO ARMY MILITARY RULE IN RUMANIA LONDON, December 11. The Bucharest correspondent of the Associated Press of Great Britain says that General Antonescu has issued a decree virtually placing Rumania under military rule. TLe army has beep given power over nearly every branch of the nation’s life, which will enable it to militarise any State institution or corporation and also militarise the police throughout the nation. i