ITALIAN SUCCESS"

Evening Post, Volume CXXXV, Issue 20, 25 January 1943, Page 5

ITALIAN SUCCESS"

LONDON, January 24, After the first shock of the loss of Tripoli, the Italians are now try•inr- toTmakfr tfuMhat they .actually gj&ifed a success by the evacuation of the city. Rome radio said today that the evacuation of Tripohtama had been decided on for a long time, but this move had been kept a great secret so as to baffle General Montgomery. It went on: The "success of this operation is proved •by the fact that the Eighth Army * entered Tripoli without fighting."

i fairly deep line ot concrete emplacements,. traps, and wire entanglements protecting gun positions. Demolition of all kinds and booby traps ■Sad mines also hindered the advance. The troops never ceased their pressure on the enemy, and this + was Wup during the night from .the .east and south, enabling the advanced forces to enter the city at daybreak. THE OFFICIAL VERSION. The capture of Tripoli was officially announced'in a Middle East joint comaSuSSue; which stated: "Our forward Soops entered Tripoli early on Saturday morning. On Friday our troops occupied Castel Verde (half-way between Horns and Tripoli), and were closing on Tripoli from the east and south. Strong enemy rearguards, attempting to delay our forces, were engaged and driven back. ■ %he full weight of our fighterbombers' effort was directed against enemy transport columns withdrawing westward along the coastal road_ into Tunisia. Great damage was. inflicted on excellent targets. Small .shipping attempting to leave the harbour of ZuaraT 60 miles west of. Tripoli, was attacked by fighter-bombers, and vessels were damaged. Enemy air activity was not on a large scale. In cornhats which developed our fighters/hot down three enemy fighters and damaged others. From these large-scale ■operations, and also attacks t>ver Sicily and, the Mediterranean, two aircraft are missing." ' ■ . ' A communique from the Cairo headauarters today states: "Our froops, after occupying Tripoli, continued their advance and by evening were in contact with the enemy well to the west. • "Following the 72 hours of intensive ifctack, the-Allied air forces reduced their pressure on Saturday owing to the fast withdrawal thinning out the inemy's motorised columns." BOMBARDMENT OF ZUARA. JONDON, January 23. ~The Admiralty states: "Early this morning light forces of the Royal Navy :arried out a bombardment of the small port of Zuara. Good results were achieved, large fires and explosions oeing observed. His Majesty's ships suffered neither casualties nor dam»ge." Zuara is 35 miles from the Tunisian frontier. The port accommodates vestels up to 750 tons, and the town, which k .fount round an oasis, is principally V military station.