TERRIFIC BRITISH PRESSURE

Press, Volume LXXVI, Issue 23204, 16 December 1940, Page 7

TERRIFIC BRITISH PRESSURE

talians Thrown Back To Frontier PRISONERS SET AT 30,000

(UNITED TRESS ASSOCIATION—COPYRIGHT.) (Received December 15, 11 p.m.) LONDON, December 15

The Kalian forces in the Western Desert have been thrown back to the Libyan frontier, and reports reaching Cairo indicate that the British are already on the outskirts of Solium, the immediate objective of the British Commander-in-Chief in the Middle East (General Sir Archibald Wavell). The latest communique from Cairo estimates that more than 26,000 prisoners have been taken by the British, but later messages set the figure at 30,000. In addition, the Italians have lost immense quantities of guns, tanks, and equipment of all kinds.

The communique reporting these successes adds that the British forces are continuing to press back the enemy, who is endeavouring to stem the tide of rout on and about the Libyan frontier. “The clearing of the vast battlefield continues,” the communique says, “and the number of prisoners is steadily mounting. Our harassing activities on the Sudan frontier continue unabated.”

The Cairo correspondent of the British United Press declares that Marshal Graziani, the Italian Commander-in-Chief in Libya, has probably lost eight divisions—more than 100,000 men.

The Italians are being ceaselessly hammered as they retreat through “Hellfire Pass,” which thev must use to get through Solium into Libya. It climbs 400 feet from the coast to the escarpment, and it is under heavy and constant fire from the British.

There is no sign of any relaxation of the terrific pressure on the Italians. Desperate fighting is said to be going on between British advanced units and Black Shirts on the border, where the Black. Shirts are striving to consolidate their positions and vainly attempting to counter-attack.

The speed with which the British movements are being carried out exleeds oven the greatest expectations. The amazing advance of the Imperial Army of the Nile has resulted from a combination of sheer courage and ingenious tactics. A striking tribute to the British advance comes from an Italian, Colonel Giusfreda, who was captured on the first day of the attack. When he was taken prisoner he told a British officer: “The action was brilliantly conceived and even more brilliantly executed. We were completely :aken by surprise.”

General OlConnor was commanding a battalion of the famous London regiment of volunteers, the Honourable Artillery Company, which was transferred from France with the 7th Division for the final defeat of the Austrians. General O’Connor took part in the capture of the island of Lapadopoli. For his share in the victory he was not only mentioned by name in General Cavan’s dispatch but was awarded the Silver Medal for Valour by the Italians. Britain has captured all the food and oil the Italians had accumulated for the invasion of Egypt, reports a war correspondent in the Western Desert.

Colonel Giusfreda said that the ac!ion began at Nibeiwa when the British opened fire at dawn on December J. Two Italian patrols were sent out and they heard British tanks approaching. Nibeiwa soon fell, and after this (the British forces reformed and attacked a group of forts lying between jNibeiwa and Sidi Barrani. These were captured by the evening, and then the way to Sidi Barrani lay open to the British.

Most of the Italian prisoners appear to be numbed and bewildered. The majority were completely ignorant of events in Greece.

Military circles say that it is difficult to estimate the exact strength of the Italian divisions, which are extremely flexible. A Libyan division is usually between 7000 and 8000, a Black Shirt division between 10,000 and 11,000, and a Metropolitan division between 13,000 and 14,000, There may be an additional three or four corps of troops with each division in the big army. The five Italian generals who have been captured have been conveyed to Cairo by air. The capture of General Sabasiano on Thursday means that Italy’s two generals commanding the forces in Egypt have been eliminated. New Zealanders, Australians, South Africans, and Canadians are participating in the Royal Air Force’s desert attacks.

The Cairo correspondent of the Associated Press of Great Britain states that the official estimates of the number of prisoners are extremely moderate. and that it is unlikely that many Italians succeeded in escaping the British drag-net. The latest Italian communique says: “The frontier fighting continued in the Western Desert all day on Friday. Italian troops counter-attacked in the afternoon, and relieved the enemy pressure.”

While accusing British propaganda of claiming great victories which were quite different from the truth, the Rome radio said that Britain oad concentrated all her forces in this part of the world under the leadership of one of her ablest men, General Waved. The Italians were aware that they were living the gravest hour of their history, but they wore convinced that the war would end in their favour.

It is authoritatively stated that information received leads to the belief that rebel activity in Italian East Africa, including Abyssinia, is increasing.

The Italian paper "Messagero” states: “The fight in North Africa may continue and assume the most terrible aspect, but, whatever happens, England is condemned to lose the war. London set herself madly upon Rome with all her strength because Italy blocked the way to India through the Suez. She has obliged Britain to maintain in the Mediterranean considerable forces which otherwise would be used for the defence of the British Isles. The attack in North Africa is the best proof that England feels the Italian sword with a mortal thrust." Elation at the British victory in the Western Desert is generally reflected in the London press comment. “The Times” states: “The booty is certain to be enormous, because' the Italians have been building up their advanced base in the hope of resuming their offensive against Egypt, It is not victory alone, and not the removal of the menace to Egypt alone which will hearten the whole Empire and all our friends outside it. There will be also universal delight at the boldness of General Sir Archibald Wavell’s conception and masterly skill of planning. and the co-operation of the Royal Air Force, which has blinded the enemy in the skies.”

The Rome radio later described the defeat in North Africa as merely a desert encounter. Marshal Graziani Was awaiting the British in Libya with two great armies in fortified lines

Wiich were superior to the British. The radio hotly denied a report < that Kaly was negotiating for an armistice a nd also reports of revolts in Italian dties.

Military circles in London, commentjj>g on the operations in the Western Desert, where, on a 420 square miles battlefield, the British forces are engaged in “mopping up” pockets of resistance where they are found amongst Jne scattered and disorganised Italian ’coops, point out that a pause in the °perations, or even no further news, should cause neither surprise nor when the activities of Jhe last week are considered In their Proper perspective, as well as the task ’’’’mediately before the British troops. .Great distances In a waterless counmake dealing with as many as *.OOO prisoners a task of difficulty, '''■'ile a week of desert fighting and long distances imposes a “Cvgre strain on men and machines “fone, necessitating a rest for repairs Military circles lay special emphasis 2} “e smoothness with which the "Orations were carried out, and which jwfe the result ol careful and long preparations and training. *t is revealed that the officer in com?aod in the Western Desert, and therein particular control of the operaU®hs, is Major-General R. N. O’Con--1918 the Italian Government was s «gflted to honour him. In that year

AXIS PROGRESS TURNED

SUCCESSIVE BLOWS AT ENEMY

(British ornciAL wiremss.) RUGBY, December 14. The progress of the Axis, brought to a halt at Taranto and on the Greek frontier, is definitely stayed and turned. This was the opinion expressed by Brigadier-General Lord Croft, Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State for War, commenting on the battle in the Western Desert to-day. "Prudence in the face of a numerically superior enemy," he said, “might have dictated a static defence by General Wavell in Egypt. The irresistible urge to get at the Italians ourselves and to assist Greece in instant fight, however, impelled our commander-in-* chief to reverse the roles and himself attack his entrenched and fortified adversary. , , "The operations of the last few days are one pf the mpst skilfyl brilllant episode? of the great story of the British Army.”

Expulsion of Rumanians— The Rumanian Government has protested to Bulgaria against the threatened expulsion of 1000 Rumanians from south Dobruja. It is said that the Rumanians must leave before to-morrow night.— Bucharest, December 14. 1