VIOLENT R.A.F. OFFENSIVE

Press, Volume LXXVII, Issue 23248, 7 February 1941, Page 9

VIOLENT R.A.F. OFFENSIVE

Advance in Africa Gathers Speed

ITALIAN ROUT IN ERITREA

(UNITED PEESS ASSOCIATION—COPYRIGHT.) (Received February 6, 10 p.m.) LONDON, February 6, Mercilessly lashed by the Royal Air Force’s bombs and bullets, their communications constantly attacked, their aeroplanes shot from the skies, and their landing grounds pounded, the Italians on all fronts in Africa desperately speeded up their retreat yesterday, regardless of loss of equipment and stragglers. General Sir Archibald Wavell’s men are pressing on in spite of lack of sleep, determined that the fleeing armies shall have no chance to rest or reform. The Royal Air Force is violently carrying the offensive over and beyond all the battle fronts, and the land forces have markedly quickened the tempo of the advance everywhere. There is no sign of a stiffening of the defence in Cyrenaica, and far less of counter-attack. The main groups of Marshal Graziani’s forces are 60 to 70 miles from Benghazi, and since the pace of the retreat at present is 20 to 30 miles a day, it appears that the fate of Barce will become clear in a day or two. Hundreds of Italian settlers also are fleeing to Benghazi.

Since the battle of Barentu, the Italian withdrawal in Eritrea has become a rout. The remnants of the Barentu garrison are fleeing to Adi Ugri, south of Asmara. British mechanised units and motorised infantry are doing their utmost to keep up with them, while the Royal Air Force is heavily bombing columns of troop-laden lorries. The Italian guns are maintaining only a very desultory fire.

The Italians, apparently planning a delaying action, have already staged an encounter in the village of Sciabor. The British troops, who have advanced 150 miles in a fortnight, have shown that they are capable of storming the most formidable positions. The British main advance has been jssioolh motor road. The Ital- ' from Agordat is struggling to escape along a parallel secondary road and is being constantly harried by patrols which are mowing them down with machine-guns and taking many prisoners. The Royal Air Icrce, spotting for the British artillery, is also swooping down and machinegunning the miserable columns. Lining the path of the British drive to the Red Sea are streams of prisoners, heaps of battered tanks and lorries, droves of mules and piles of guns, rifles and equipment. Like the Libyan forces, the men under Major-General W. Platt are pressing into service as much captured material as possible to assist the advance.

The mass evacuation of Italian garrisons and the civil administration from 5000 square miles of Abyssinia has followed the British successes in Eritrea and harrying by patriots. More' and more as -they are freed by the completion of the harvesting, the patriots are taking up arms, and .garrisons are faced with the desperate choice of retreat along ambush-infested roads or surrender.

The British Biacunda, on the southern border of Eritrea, are also in contact with Italians who are believed to be the remnants of the Om Agar garrison. The British battering-ram pounding into the foothills of Eritrea beyond Agordat is now four miles from • Keren.

The evacuated area comprises the Walkait and Agade districts, bordering the Sudan between the Setit and Atbara rivers.

Haile Selassie’s regulars chasing the Italians have already established a temporary Brilish-Ethiopian civil administration. The Royal Air Force is dropping hundreds of thousands .of leaflets telling Abyssinians throughout the country of the successes of their countrymen and allies. The conflagration is rapidly gaining and spreading to the heart of Abyssinia.

Active patrolling continues in southwest Abyssinia. Strong native African patrols have captured Belesgugani, a defended Italian post 45 miles inside Somaliland and are pursuing its garrison.

The military correspondent of “The Times” says that the bold minor tactics, plus sniping by patriots, in East Africa, are probably too much for the nerves of the Italian commanders and their troops. The Duke of Aosta, who is commander-in-chief, is a good soldier, but it is most unlikely that he can restore the situation because the troops no longer possess the necessary spirit. A communique from British General Headquarters in Cairo states: "Urged by our pursuing troops, the Italians in Libya are increasing the speed of their withdrawal towards Benghazi. So far some 400 stragglers have been left in our hands.

“Our operations about Keren, in Eritrea, are developing successfully. Meanwhile, the Italians, who are retreating east from Barentu and Biacunda, are being heavily pressed, and they are leaving all routes littered with gear and vehicles. In addition to those already reported, many hundreds of prisoners have been captured. "In Abyssinia, our advance east of the Gondar road is also progressing, and in the southern area the South Africans are consolidating the enemy positions recently captured. “Our patrols continued to be active in all sectors in Italian Somaliland on Tuesday. They attacked and captured an enemy post 45 miles inside the Italian frontier.” . . i .. An Italian communique reports that the British bombed Benghazi and also raided some localities in Eritrea. There were some native victims. The British also bombed an Italian airport in the Aegean Islands on Monday night. “On the northern front in East Africa,” the communique added, “our troops repelled enemy forces heading for the new Italian line of defence. Native troops on the southern front retired from an advanced position near the border eastwards to Lake Stef am after a hard, fight.”

any way. The units have a highly important mission in the central Mediterranean and the light forces along the Libyan coast have maintained uninterrupted operations. “Practically the only incident was provided by some mines which came so close that we sometimes had to alter course sharply to avoid them. We completed our covering operations uneventfully and exercises well within the range b£ enemy aircraft without producing a reply from the enemy. “Our fighter patrols have possession of the sky. Soon we shall be back again at our base for a brief respite, somewhat disappointed • with the lack of action but with undiminished faith in our Mediterranean domination.

"We had hopes of meeting the enemy early in the voyage when an enemy spotting aeroplane was believed to have reported our presence. We were then in the neighbourhood of ‘Bomb Alley,’ the scene of intense bombings in the past. The news was broadcast throughout the ship and everyone was on the alert, and now that the element of surprise in enemy bombing no longer existed, we felt confident. The morning, however, dragged on without any attack.”