HEAVY FIGHTING

Evening Post, Volume CXX, Issue 137, 6 December 1935, Page 9

HEAVY FIGHTING

ABYSSINIAN ATTACK

LAUNCHED IN THE DARK

FIRST DIRECT OFFENSIVE

LARGE DELIVERIES OF

MUNITIONS

United Press Association —By Electric Tele^

eraph—Copyright.

LONDON, December 5.

The Exchange Telegraph agency's correspondent with the Italian northern army states that the Abyssinians' first direct attack on the Italian lines since the campaign started occurred under cover of darkness on December 3, when a strong, well-armed force advanced against the Italian positions at Shelikot, 12 miles south of Makale.

Italian headquarters admits that the fighting was heavy, but claims that the attack was successfully repulsed.

The Asmara correspondent of "The Times" says that four Italian soldiers were killed in a skirmish south-west of Makale. There was another skirmish north of the River Takazze, near Addi Rassi, with no casualties, and several in the Tembieu region, which several columns of Eritrian troops are at present combing.

The impression is that the enemyis preparing to force the lightly-held centre of the Makale-Adowa line, with the object of outflanking the Italians.

An official statement gives a long list of heavy deliveries of arms and munitions to the Abyssinians from Belgian, German,, and British sources, including hundreds of machine-guns, half a million hand grenades, and an incredible number of rifles.

Agents of several nationalities at Addis Ababa are reported to be offering 50,000,000 cartridges, with rifles to match, barbed wire, thousands of miles of cloth for uniforms, motors and radio, telephone and telegraph equipment.

The ammunition factory at Addis Ababa is being reconstructed, with foreign assistance, to produce bombs and gas-producing machinery.