TERMS OF SURRENDER

Evening Post, Volume CXXXI, Issue 116, 19 May 1941, Page 7

TERMS OF SURRENDER

Italian Inquiry

FORCE IN NORTHERN ABYSSINIA

LONDON. May 18

The Duke of Aosta, Italian Viceroy of Abyssinia, whose troops are now surrounded, in the mountain stronghold of Amba Alagi, has sent emissaries to the British to inquire the terms of surrender of the whole of the Italian forces in that area.

This is announced in a Cairo communique, which adds that the situation has arisen as a result of a series of brilliant an and South African troops,

operations carried out by IncH 'closely supported by the R.A.F

,|;lt is estimated officially that there a*e between 15,000 and 20,000 Italians, in addition to local troops, in Amba Alagi, but it is not known whether the Duke of Aosta himself is with them. ■kßeuter's correspondent in Khartoum says that the first move in the Duke oi Aosta's negotiations was made early on Friday morning. The order to cease fire was arranged for 6 o'clock that evening, and it was also arranged that if the terms were not acceptable hostilities would be resumed at 9.15 p.m. No details as to what happened after the cease-fire have yet reached Khartoum. The Duke of Aosta's request has not been admitted in Rome, and the Roi^e radio at 7 o'olock this evening said that he had no other prospect before him but to resist until the end. It is stated in London that with the Duke of Aosta's forces which are believed to be on the eve of surrender, the total number of prisoners captured in the Middle East will be 200,000. Amba Alagi is a fortress on the moun- ] tain of that name. At the end of last ] month Dessie fell to British forces com- '• posed largely of South Africans, and i the British troops immediately began ■ their long and arduous advance to i Amba Alagi. The difficulties of the i advance were intensified by obstacles ' manufactured by the enemy and by : guerrilla tactics in the mountains. The ; Indian troops advanced on Amba Alagi from the north, while the South Africans advanced from the south, and the forces were assisted by Abyssinian patriots. A week ago the Duke of Aosta is reported to have said: "I will never surrender; I will hold out, if necessary, in the remotest mountain region." USELESSNESS OF FURTHER RESISTANCE. An Italian communique issued today is preparing the people for the fail of the Italian stronghold. It says that the defenders are performing prodigies of valour fe but speaks of rthe difficulties being encountered owi#g to scarcity of supplies, the losses that have been suffered, and the impossibility of evacuating the wounded. The view in London is that the Duke of Aosta's move does not necessarily mean that the Abyssinian campaign will come to an end immediately. The Duke is apparently of the view that further resistance at Amba Alagi would be useless, but no mention is made of the two other centres of Italian resistance —the Gondar district south-west of Amba Alagi, and the Lake district about 200 miles south of Addis Ababa. The Duke may well refuse to drop Italian resistance in these areas, following Hitler's instructions to keep .going in Abyssinia as long as possible so as to occupy a portion of the British forces as long as possible away from Libya. If, however, the majority of the Italian troops in Abyssinia are trapped in the Amba Alagi area, it is likely that the surrender of the Italian forces there will result in a similar move in other districts. In the Gondar area, aircraft of the Free French forces attacked motor transport and troops, and aircraft of a Rhodesian squadron of the South African Air Force carried out operations in support of the British troops. Details of the siege of Amba Alagi show that the Italians made refuges from the British artillery fire by tunnelling galleries in the cliff face and digging gun emplacements out of the rock. In these small caves the Italians were immune from anything but direct hits. The defences were intended to meet an attack from the north, but were vulnerable to the South African advance from the south, although even from this side there were immense Natural ramparts. Three hours of concentrated mortar fire by Transvaal troops blew the enemy out of the dug-outs and about 200 were mown down with machine-guns. Later a hundred or more were shot down when they fled, and very few of the Italian force escaped. It is stated officially that operations in southern Abyssinia continue to develop successfully. British and Imperial forces in that area are pursuing the retreating enemy to a town in the Lake district. After the fall of Dessie British troops pursued the fleeing Italians southwards. The military spokesman in Cairo tonight said that the terms for the surrender of Amba Alagi have been handed to the Duke of Aosta's emissary. Although no details have been published, the spokesman said they would certainly include the surrender of the Duke himself, the general commanding, and the Italian force there.