AFRICAN FRONT

Dominion, Volume 34, Issue 135, 4 March 1941, Page 7

AFRICAN FRONT

British Advance In Eritrea CAPTURE OF PASS Patriot Success In Abyssinia (British Official Wireless.) (Received March 3, 8 p.m.) RUGBY, March 2. A communique issued by British General Headquarters in Cairo reports that in Eritrea British northern forces on Saturday captured an .important pass covering the approach to Keren. In Abyssinia further progress has been made along the road to Gondar, the communique states. In the Gojjam Province patriot forces inflicted considerable losses on the Italian garrison of Burye, which attempted a sortie with cavalry and infantry. Signs are apparent of further withdrawals from Italian posts in this region. Operations in Italian Somaliland continue to develop satisfactorily.

Keren is an Italian mountain stronghold in Eritrea. Other reports state that the pass captured by the British covers the northern approach to the city. It was taken by column which had been steadily advancing, and was reported on Friday to have made contact with the Italian defenders in a narrow gorge. Air Force Co-operates. Both British fighters and bombers co-operated with the troops. A Royal Air Force communique says that one Italian fighter was shot down and that the bombers attacked the railway between Keren and Asmara, the Italian life-line for supplies. A military spokesman in Cairo said today that the enemy in Italian Somaliland may have to evacuate the whole area between the River Juba and the Webbe Shibeli. At present they are withdrawing from this area as fast as they can, apparently toward Addis Ababa, the Abyssinian capital. He added that no further serious resistance was expected in northern Italian Somaliland. x A Royal Air Force communique reports that in Italian East Africa bomber aircraft attacked jenemy positions in the neighbourhood of Keren. Another of our bombers machinegunned two CA 133’s on an aerodrome. The enemy aircraft were burnt out. Our aircraft then bombed and machine-gunned motor transport vehicles on a road in the vicinity of the town.

Neghelli was again attacked by units of the South African Air Force and direct hits were registered on a mechanical transport park, the communique adds. From all the above operations all our aircraft returned safely. South African Air Force. Official Wireless states that a single fighter of the South African Air Force, patrolling northern Eritrea, dived low and opened fire with eight guns on a - large unidentified Italian aeroplane just inside a hangar south of Massawa and saw it burst into flames and burn the hangar as well. Its destruction brought his squadron’s total of enemy aircraft destroyed to 76. Burnt wrecks strewn over a dozen Italian aerodromes and tangled remains of aircraft lying in ruins over the Eritrean bush tell better than words the havoc this squadron has wrought with the much vaunted might of the Italian air force. Hours of" k patrolling over enemy territory ending in numerous log entries of “no enemy aircraft seen” show clearly just how much the Italians have been affected by loss of aircraft in recent weeks.

An official inspection of Morun, five miles inland from Brava, Somaliland, revealed the accuracy of the recent British naval bombardment. Besides causing a number of casualties, damage, was done to enemy buildings and installations. Further large stocks of valuable stdres and supplies were discovered.