DESPERATE FIGHTING

Evening Star, Issue 22247, 27 January 1936, Page 9

DESPERATE FIGHTING

MAKALE THE STORM CENTRE FATE OF TOWN IN BALANCE BLACK SHIRTS PROMINENT Press Association —By Telegraph —Copyright LONDON, January 25. A message from Tembicn says that desperate fighting, in which .both sides claimed the advantage, raged round Makale, whose fate is still in the balance. The combatants are giving their lives recklessly. The present stage of the conflict is the last phase of a general engagement in the Tembien region. The Italians, while announcing a victory, admit losing 19 white officers and 389 white soldiers killed and 310 Askaris killed and wounded. These are the heaviest losses since the inception of the campaign. The Italians assert that the Abyssinians lost 8,000 men, 4,000 of whom were taken prisoner. The Abyssinians, whose combined forces are 40,000, under Ras Kassa and Ras Seyoum, discount the Italian claims, and declare that the invaders lost heavily in hand-to-hand fighting between Makale and Hauzien, attendant upon tho successful Abyssinian outflanking movement; but this success seems to have been temporary, Italian reinforcements having restored the position. Nevertheless the Abyssinians assert that their onslaught broke the morale of the Italians and drove them in flight, with the loss of two fortified positions, 1,700 dead, and 800 taken prisoner.

An Italian wireless message from Makale admitted that the position was desperate and implored reinforcements, but it is uncertain at what phase of the battle this was despatched. An Asmara official Italian account points out that, unlike previous northern engagements, the third major Tembien battle was. fought almost entirely by %vhite troops —namely, the Black Shirt division. Ras Kassa, faced with this opposition, attempted to surround the advancing column, throwing his entire force into the battle on January 21 in an effort to annihilate the Black Shirts.

In hand-to-hand fighting the Black Shirts fought valiantly all day, and eventually broke the encirclement with heavy losses, Ras Kassa on January 22 adopted an open formation, abandoning his customary caution and hurling all his men against the Italians, charging them again and again, despite a murderous artillery barrage and machine gun volleys. The Abyssinians, apparently insensible to losses, maintained their spirit until January 23, when the seemingly inexhaustible forces of Ras Kassa’s troops stormed the Italian positions. The Black Shirts, despite furious bayonet charges, were losing ground when the commanders, scorning delay in action, rushed up reinforcements which turned the scale against the Abyssihians, the fresh troops combining in a final assault with the Black. Shirts, who leapt from defensive positions and scattered Ras Kassa’s warriors in what is claimed to be as decisive a victory as General Graziani’s on the southern front.

Fifty thousand warriors from mixed tribes are on route from Addis Ababa to reinforce Ras Desta, whose trqops General Graziani continues to pursue, despite reachitig the almost waterless and thickly forested Rengi Highlands, where he has been compelled to restrict the troops’ water supply to a pint and three-quarters a day.

SANCTIONS AND SPORT

ITALY CHANGES RAGE NAMES HOME. January 25. The Italian Turf Club, applying the counter to sanctions to horse racing, has ordered the names St. Leger and Oaks to be changed to Premiodelfascio and Premiodiana respectively, and cancellation of the names of racehorses in the language of sanctionist countries. DIFFICULT ENTERPRISE ITALIANS IN TEMBIEN RANGES ASMARA, January 26. (Received January 27, at 12.30 p.m.) Askari columns, assisted by irregulars, are carrying out a difficult enterprise in mopping up the Tembien ranges, which are honeycombed with caves and hollows offering facilities for night raiding by the defenders. The recent battle in this area is believed to indicate more aggressive Abyssinian tactics, in order to prevent the Italians reaching the stronghold at Amba Alegi before the rainy season. Both sides are exhausted, but Addis Ababa eqpects an early resumption of the hostilities, and declares that the Italians are bombing open towns in Southern Abyssinia, killing 500 civilians in 12 raids on Sidamo in the past few weeks.