Enemy Pressed Hard

Evening Post, Volume CXXX, Issue 145, 16 December 1940, Page 9

Enemy Pressed Hard

BATTERED FROM THE AIR

British Casualties Slight

LONDON, December 15., The British combined land, air, and sea offensive against the Italians in Libya is being- pressed home. While the troops in the desert are fighting their way across the Libyan frontier, the Royal Air Force is ranging over a wide area ahead of them, battering away at Italian aerodromes, communications, and lines of retreat. A heavy dust storm is raging in the desert. Fighting has been continuous since the offensive began nearly a week ago, and went on all last night. The British troops are still inflicting severe punishment on the Italian force which is fighting a rearguard action in defence of the main body moving to the west. Supporting British troops are tackling the Herculean task of mopping up the battlefield zone of some 1200 square miles. Guns, ammunition, and every kind of equipment are scattered throughout the area, often miles apart. The dead lie half buried where they fell, and the dust and the wind of the vast desert blow over them as the British forces follow up the forward troops who are hammering the retreating Italian columns. Agency messages say that British casualties are known I to be,, still slight. ! The Italian communiques speak of bloody encounters in : the Fort Capuzzo, Sollum, and Bardia zones. Another mes- .; sage says that tlie Italians are trying to resist the British advance near the Libyan frontier.

Reuters correspondent with the British Army in the desert describes the total of Italian prisoners and captured booty as "astonishing, and still mounting." All day long, a continuous stream of captured Italian lorries and prisoners moves through the desert sandstorms which have been blowing during the whole week. One armoured brigade captured 14,000 prisoners in one district alone, and signalled urgently for assistance as they wanted to continue the advance without having to bother about acting as warders.

British forward mechanised units are tackling enemy frontier positions and inflicting serious casualties.

Meanwhile, messages from Alexandria say that hordes of ragged Italian prisoners are pouring into the town on their way to the military barracks. Large crowds are hurrying to watch the platoons of prisoners go by, and everywhere Egyptians are heard to express their delight. "Is Mussolini there?" one old Egyptian was heard to ask. "No," came the answer, "but he soon will be."

Aircraft of the Fleet Air Arm made a spectacular attack on Tripoli,

where four tons of bombs were dropped. Two direct hits were scored on a ship moored alongside the north mole, and a second ship was bombed, an explosion following. One of our aircraft failed to return.

There is more . news tonight of the Navy's part in the British advance. A message from the Com-mander-in-Chief in the Mediter-j ranean says our naval forces, continuing operations along the coast, bombarded Sidi Barrani and Bardia. A night bombardment of Bardia was carried out with successful results. An abortive attack was made on one of our naval units, and in another case an Italian submarine which attempted to interfere with these operations was immediately sunk by our destroyers. SEVERE AIR RAIDS ON ENEMY BASES. It is stated officially that every! Italian landing ground and aerodrome in the advanced area in the Middle East has been heavily attacked by our bombers. In addition, a particularly severe raid was launched against Bardia, the Italian supply base a few miles inside the frontier. The British bombers simply ignored about 50 Italian fighters which were on patrol in the area, and went straight through to attack the town, where they caused heavy damage. Barracks and warehouses were demolished and large fires

started, followed by explosions. Both Bardia and Tobruk were still burning from the previous day's raids. Barracks at Sollum were also heavily raided, and other military objectives attacked.

At least 24 Italian aircraft were shot

down or destroyed on the ground during the day's operations. One fighter squadron alone accounted for 14 t bombers and four fighters, and three ' more bombers and three fighters were shot down by another squadron.

At Derna two enemy aircraft were

destroyed on the ground and others severely damaged. A number of other aircraft were damaged, but their destruction is not confirmed.

Throughout the day British fighters were on continuous patrol protecting the advancing troops. From all these

operations three British machines failed to return —one bomber, one fighter, and one reconnaissance plane —but it is possible that at least one is safe on our side of the line.