AXIS MAKES NO PROGRESS

Press, Volume LXXVII, Issue 23318, 2 May 1941, Page 9

AXIS MAKES NO PROGRESS

Thrust From Libya To Egypt '

NAVY SHELLS THE COAST ROAD

(Received May 1,-JLI p.m.) (U.P.A.) LONDON, May 1, The military position in North Africa Is unchanged. British land patrols continue to harass the Axis forces near Solium, the Air Force has carried out low-level machine-guns attacks, and the Royal Navy has shelled points on the coast road near Bardia and Tobruk, where enemy concentrations were observed. The British forces have thus combined to hinder the enemy's preparations for an advance into Egypt. It is now five days since the Axis forces crossed the Egyptian border to a point five miles east of Solium and they are still there. During April, 252 enemy aircraft were destroyed In the Middle East. The Royal Air Force lost 58 machines, but many of the pilots are safe. Another attack has been carried put by the Royal Air Force on the important enemy aerodrome of Benina, where bombs were seen to fall among troop-carrying aircraft on the ground. Raids were also carried out on the Derna aerodrome, and on harbour works at Benghazi, where heavy explosions were seen. Three enemy aircraft were shot down over Tobruk. A message from Cairo states that King Farouk gave an audience to the Egyptian Prime Minister (Hussein Sirry Pasha), and also to the leaders of the Wafd. Saadist, and Liberal Constitutional Parties. The Egyptian press forecast the early formation of a National Government. The political atmosphere is more stable than for some time. Hussein Sirry Pasha told the press that British troops and the Royal Air Force were dealing effectively with the invaders. The rounding up of Italians continues in Abyssinia, where the latest arrivals in the flow of native deserters to Haile Selassie include 400 colonial troops. The Italian Viceroy (the Duke of Aosta) escaped from Dessie to Ambi Alaga in the sole remaining Italian bomber. The mountains around Des-* sie are honeycombed with, caves, in which the Italians had hidden great stores of food, fuel, and ammunition. One brigade of attackers fought 12 battalions, mainly Europeans, and captured 44 guns. South African artillery was engaged in intense action for six days. According to a British communique, a unit of the Sudan Defence Force captured Socota, in Abyssinia 1 , on Sunday, inflicting many casualties. A further 515 prisoners were taken, of whom 400 colonial troops immediately volunteered to enter the Emperor's service. In all other areas the activities of British troops and patrols continue steadily to clear the country of isoltaed detachments. Haile Selassie may make his entry into Addis Ababa on May 2, five years to a day since he was forced to flee by the Italians. #

BOLD ATTEMPT AT RESCUE

British Submarine’s Exploit

NINE HOURS IN PORT HELD BY ITALIANS

LONDON, April 30. An account of an audacious attempt by a British submarine to embark the British Minister to Jugoslavia (Mj Ronald Campbell) and his staff, after the collapse of organised resistance in Jugoslavia, was givgn to-day in an Admiralty communique. At dawn on April 26, the British submarine Regent (Lieutenant-Com-mander Bartlett) arrived at a port in the Adriatic to find the whole area Occupied by Italian troops. The submarine entered the port and the commanding officer landed to call on the Italian naval authorities. After an interview, an Italian army staff officer embarked, in the Regent as a hostage while a British officer went in search of JJr Campbell. Meanwhile, the Regent lay in the harbour flying her, largest white Ensign, and surrounded by forces of the Italian army. This continued for nine hours, while the search proceeded. Then, without warning, the Regent was attacked by two Italian divebombers, which dropped several bombs and machine-gunned the submarine, slightly wounding the commanding officer, the first-lieutenant, and a petty officer. ■ . . The commanding officer decided to wait no longer, so the Regent dived and left the harbour submerged, suecessfulllv passing through two mine fields. She returned, to her base with the Italian hostage still on bogrd. Although the exploit was not successful in rescuing Mr Campbell, the fact that a British: submarine could lie for hours In a harbour occupied by the enemy is a tribute to the coolness and determination of the commanding officer and his crew.