ITALY'S BLACKEST DAY

Evening Post, Volume CXXXV, Issue 21, 26 January 1943, Page 5

ITALY'S BLACKEST DAY

LONDON, January 25. According to reports from Milan, the Italian Press referred to the Eighth Army'B march into Tripoli as "the blackest day in the history of the Italian empire." All the newspapers console their readers by saying that the loss of Tripolitania is only temporary, as already the Axis is preparing a counter-offensive in Tunisia.

pounding in the whole history of war, and it looked from the map as if Rommel would find it difficult to make any sort of stand till he reached the Mareth line in Tunisia. The commentator also says that there were a few armoured tussles with the enemy rearguard on Saturday, but these in fact looked much like a chase. In Tripoli "itself the people are quiet and the troops entering the city found things much as had been reported by the aerial reconnaissance. The damage in the town is comparatively light, but there is considerable devastation round the harbour area. A United States communique issued in Cairo states: "Fighters and fighterbombers of the Ninth United States Air Force, operating from a base in j the vicinity of Tripoli, continued yesterday to strike the enemy withdrawing to the west. Numerous direct hits on moving transport were observed, and vehicles were set on fire by ground-strafing. All the aircraft returned."