ANTANANARIVO TAKEN

Press, Volume LXXVIII, Issue 23752, 25 September 1942, Page 5

ANTANANARIVO TAKEN

Madagascar Capital In British Hands

VICHY GOVERNOR LEAVES (N.Z. Press Association—Copyright.) (Rec. 11 p.m.) LONDON, Sept. 24. The Vichy radio to-day announced the fall of Antananarivo, the capital of Madagascar. The fall of the town, the radio stated, was admitted in a communique issued by the French Secretary for the Colonies. The fall of Antananarivo was earlier announced in a dramatic interruption to a radio broadcast. A British officer late this afternoon broke into a musical programme on the Antananarivo radio, and announced: “English troops entered the capital at 5 p.m. All is peaceful.” . . Antananarivo radio’s transmission at noon was interrupted to broadcast a farewell message from the Vichy Gov-ernor-General (M. Annett), who is believed to have fled to the southern part of the island to organise resistance there. Describing the activities of the British forces in Madagascar, the East African Command, in a communique issued yesterday, stated: "Our troops are approaching the outskirts of Antananarivo. Our column from the north-west encountered French troops in positions supported by artillery 15 miles north of the capital. Resistance in this area was finally overcome yesterday afternoon. In their movement on the capital from Brickaville, on the east coast, our forces encountered the usual extensive road obstructions, but good progress has been made. Our troops moving south down the northwest coast have now made contact with the column from Majunga, thus putting the main road from Diego Suarez to Majunga in our hands.”