COASTAL FORT CAPTURED

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

COASTAL FORT CAPTURED

Enemy Retreat West Of Derna (Received February 4, 12.10 a.m.) LONDON, February 3. A Derna message states that accurate fire from British heavy and light artillery is considerably hampering the retreat of the Italian rearguard. The British made contact with the Italians on Sunday afternoon and landed shells with deadly precision on a fort commanding the road to the west. After tw o hours of intense fire the British silenced the guns of the fort and its garrison then evacuated. The Derna correspondent of “The Times” says that the fighting for Derna is a valuable experience, aceusfoming the troops to the terrain and the use of cover that is so essential for avoiding heavy losses. The Australian infantry have applied the new tactics extremely well, and this augurs well for similar fighting in Jebel, the country ahead. The Australians have paid tribute to the “pommies” as “the coolest blokes we have ever seen.” The Australian sappers themselves have been surpassingly cool in opening the road to Derna and removing numerous mines. Another terrific piece of work was the repairing of the road on the escarpment wall . The Italians had blown away two hairpin bends, one immediately above the 'other, and the Australians blasted a new roadbed from the cliff face, The sappers have now cleaned up 500 mines and traps which the Italians left.