TOWNS FALL IN ERITREA

Dominion, Volume 34, Issue 111, 4 February 1941, Page 7

TOWNS FALL IN ERITREA

Wide' British Gains

SURPRISE ATTACK IN

ETHIOPIA

Libyan Hill Fighting

(By Telegraph.—Press Assn.—Copyright.) LONDON. February 2.

Among many successes officially announced in the East African campaign, the Imperial forces have captured Agordat and another town in Eritrea, have set the enemy in full retreat in an attack in the Metemma area on the west Abyssinian frontier, and aie advancing on the whole of the frontier of Italian Somaliland.

In Libya the Italians are now offering stubborn resistance in mountains a few miles to the west of Derna. Shells straddle the wadway beside which British infantry crouch under cover of boulders and in deep, rocky ravines. A British batterj 7 has been rushed up to poui a rain of shells on the rugged heights which hide the Italian gunners. The present resistance may be merely a rearguard action' designed . to cover a withdrawal of the main Italian forces, or it may be the beginning of a real attempt to check the British advance. The British are ceaselessly preparing to carry the drive farther westward. Sappers have completed repairs to the winding escarpment road which, although it was badly damaged in the battle for Derna, now carries endless columns of guns and other transport. British artillery in western Abyssinia is ceaselessly shelling the fleeing Italians on the Metemma-Gondar road. The enemy in this sector have been taken by surprise, as they expected to face guerrilla warfare and not regular military action. According to an authoritative Cairo report, Barentu, Eritrea, is practically surrounded and its fall is expected within a few days. The Italians are likely to retreat to Tole, 20 miles to the south-east.

J-LclllclllD div. IV IVIXVUL UV> O. v-iv The capture of Barentu will mean that a whole corner of the colony, comprising one-fifth of the total area, will have been occupied, says a special correspondent of “The Times” in Eritrea.

Sudanese armoured units in Eritrea are scouring the plains between the hills and the Agordat-Barentu road seeking the Italians, but they have apparently withdrawn at least 10 miles. The British have captured two dominating ridges less than a mile from Barentu.

The British United Press correspondent on the Barentu front says he is greatly impressed with the fortitude of the Indians, who have withstood three Italian counter-attacks though lying on the side of a hill while the Italians have fired from protected positions above. The “Daily Telegraph” reports that the fighting near Barentu has supplied further evidence that the rot is spreading throughout the Italian colonial army. Scores of unwilling Abyssinian conscripts have deserted. Useful work has been done in Eritrea by Indian troops, who find themselves in terrain similiar to that of the Northwest Frontier of India. The Italians attempted to delay our men on the Barentu front, south-west of Agordat, by laying land mines, but Indian sappers removed the mines by night, working with remarkable speed. They found when dawn came that the Italian sap»ers who were laying the mines were about 300 yards away. As soon as the Indians opened fire th.e Italians bolted. Series Of Successes. An official communique issued from Cairo today states:— “In Libya the concentration of our forces in the area west of Derna is proceeding smoothly, “In Eritrea yesterday morning our troops captured Agordat, taking many hundreds of prisoners with guns and mechanical transport. The enemy sustained heavy casualties during the final attack, which, was carried out by -British and Indian troops with the R.A.F. co-operating. At dusk yesterday advanced . elements of our forces were again in dose pursuit of the enemy, who were withdrawing toward Keren. “In the Barentu area of Eritrea operations are developing well, while farther south Biacundi is now in our hands together with more prisoners taken from the Italian forces which originally withdrew from Umm Hagar. As a result of our actions coupled with patriot activities the Italians withdrawing from the Walkit district have been obliged to abandon the bulk of their mechanical transport and are now trying to make their way eastward by mountain tracks. “In Abyssinia following our pressure in the Metemna area the enemy are also in full retreat on the MetemnaGondar road, dosely followed by our mobile troops. “In Italian Somaliland the pressure by our patrols has continued on all sectors, resulting in a general falling back of the enemy’s advanced screen.” A communique from the R.A.F. Middle East Headquarters states that offensive fighter patrols, bombing raids, and reconnaissances continued throughout the Middle East yesterday. In Italian East Africa bombers of the South African Air Force attacked concentrations of motor transport at Mega and lavello. Direct hits were registered on vehicles. Aerodromes at Zula and el Ghena (Eritrea) were bombed and a number of direct hits obtained on military buildings. Assab was also attacked and store dumps hit. Normal fighter patrols were maintained. Two damaged enemy aircraft were observed on the grounds at Barce. From all these operations our aircraft returned without loss.