STRONG ATTACK

Evening Post, Volume CXXXI, Issue 102, 2 May 1941, Page 7

STRONG ATTACK

ENEMY AT TOBRUK

PENETRATION MADE

AFRICAN CAMPAIGN

RUGBY, May 1. The Middle East communique states: "In Libya yesterday evening enemy infantry in some strength, supported by numbers of tanks, launched an attack against the outer defences of Tobruk. By the morning a penetration had been made. Details are not yet available, and fighting is continuing. "In the Sollum area our patrols were again active, inflicting casualties and damage on the enemy." An Admiralty communique states: "The Commander-in-Chief in the Mediterranean reports that our naval units carried out a successful bombardment of enemy troops and supplies in the El Gazala area of Libya." "In Abyssinia," continues the Middle East communique, "the prisoners captured during and following the occupation of Dessie total 5550 Italians and 2400 colonial troops. A number of senior officers are included, and we have also taken 93 guns. "Operations to link up our northern and southern columns converging on the defensive position held by the enemy in the region of Ambaalagi are continuing, although progress has again been held up by many road demoli- j tions. "In the southern areas our. pursuit continues, and many more prisoners have been taken, while desertions among the Italian colonial troops are daily increasing." . IMPORTANT VICTORY. The operations which culminated in the capture of Dessie are further described in a Nairobi communique, which says that the capture of Dessie was a considerable victory. It is evident from the defensive positions and the guns captured that the Italians had determined to make strong resistance. The position at Gomboltcha Pass, which was well dug and heavily wired, was covered by twenty guns, all of which were taken by the British forces. The position at Dessie was well suited for defence on all sides as it included 17 separate areas supported by seven forts and numerous strong points. When the final British1 attack was tak-, ing place military officers and civil officials in a white-flagged car approached from the enemy lines, and. after some parleying, unconditional surrender was agreed upon. SWIFT ADVANCE. A message from Nairobi emphasises the speed with which the victorious Empire troops advanced 1800 miles j across Abyssinia in 60 days, and points out that the enemy had neither the time nor the morale to make any determined stand. The report also describes the part played by troops from many parts of the Empire in the Abyssinian campaign. , The King's African Rifles started the advance. The South Africans smashed the Italian resistance over the Juba River and at Diredawa, and later led the victorious infantry into Dessie. The Nigerians stormed Brava i and Mogodishu, while troops from the i Gold Coast broke the Italian morale in j the Juba country. r.alf. hits hard. The R.A.F. Middle East communique j states: "Heavy casualties were inflicted I on enemy troops and motor transport, in Cyrenaica yesterday. In the Gambut area a particularly severe attack was carried out by a formation of R.A.F. fighters on concentrations of enemy motor transport. At least a hundred I vehicles, 30 of which contained troops. | were hit and damaged by machine-gun j fire and 20 burst into flames. Onei R.A.F. fighter intercepted four Messer-I schmitt 110's which were machine-! gunning troop? nPa r Sofa in" and severe- j ly damaged two. Our fighters also shot down a Hcnschel 125 near Gambut, "In Abyssinia yesterday and the previous day the R.A.F. and S.A.A.F. machine-gunned an enemy motor transport near Assab snd in (he Sciascimana .area. Considerable damage and casualties were caused. An enemy camp north of Maji was also bombed and machine-gunned.

RAIDS ON MALTA,

"Enemy aircraft raided Malta yesterday and the previous night, causing some damage to R.A.F. property and inflicting a few casualties. One Junkers 88 which had already been damaged by anti-aircraft fire was shot down by R.A.F. fighters, another was broueht doivn by anti-aircraft batteries, and a number of others were damaged. "Numerous flights were carried out by R.A.F. fighters to protect the final convoys in the evacuation of our troops from Greece. From all the above operations three British planes are missing."—B.O.W.