ITALIAN DIFFICULTIES

Evening Star, Issue 23833, 13 March 1941, Page 9

ITALIAN DIFFICULTIES

REINFORCING AFRICAN FRONTS HEAVILY-LABEN TROOPSHIP SUNK BRITISH LINKING UP WITH ABYSSIHIANS Press Association—By Telegraph—Copyright LONDON, March 12. The latest reports from Africa indicate that British forces are working towards the town of Asosa, a town, to the west of Addis Ababa. The capture of, this town will enable the British to link up with the Patriot array and take control of a large section of the country.

Italy’s attempts to send reinforcements to her forces in Africa are being seriously hindered by the Royal Navy, an Admiralty com-, munique which was issued last night stating that a heavily-laden troop transport of approximately 10,000 tons had been sunk by a British submarine. The Royal Air Force has also swept Italian aircraft from the skies and is bombing military objectives at will. Tripoli was again visited by British bombers and was severely attacked. The Cairo correspondent of ‘ The Times ’ says that the capture of tho Afodu escarpment opens another path, into the heart of Abyssinia and increases the ever-growing threat against the isolated Italian garrisons. Tho Italians have been bolding out surprisingly wcjl in this area, and, although their force is not large, the collapse of their resistance would enable the British forces more easily to keep in touch with the patriots. With the British forging ahead from Italian Somaliland and the position of tho enemy, at Keren becoming less tenable, the Italians face a network of British columns converging from all directions. The patriot movement is assuming far larger proportions than the Italian leaders at Addis Ababa realise, because local commanders, are unwilling-to report their failure to control the situation. Indeed, the, patriots appear to be masters of most of Abyssinia, except areas where appreciable Italian garrisons are operating. ' SUPPORT FROM R.A.F. ENEMY AERODROMES AND TRANSPORTS BOMBED (British Official Wireless.) RUGBY, March 12. (Received March 13, at 1 p.m.) An R.A..F communique states: In Eritrea further attacks were made on the railway. In Abyssinia enemy motor transport on the road between Lafarug and Hergeiasa and on the Jijigi-Harar road was machine-gunned. An Italian bomber on the Jijigi aerodrome was shot up by aircraft of tho South African Air Force, The aerodrome appeared deserted. Fighter aircraft gave our advancing troops air protection. In Tripolitania it is now known that -in the raid on the eufemy aerodrome reported in a special communique yesterday, five enemy aircraft were destroyed. RAID ON MALTA. Enemy aircraft .raided Malta during the night of March 10-11, causing some damage. Property -was only slightly damaged. One DO 215 was shot down, by our fighters, and anti-aircraft fire destroyed another enemy aircraft. From all these operations our airex-aft returned safely. HEAVY ENEMY LOSSES FIGHTING ACROSS THE JUBA LONDON, March 12. (Received March 13, at 1 p.m.) A Cairo communique states: There, is no change in the situation in Libya and Eritrea. Operations by the Imperial and patriot forces are successfully developing in all'areas in Abyssinia, Continuing their advance ixxto Italian Somaliland our troops occupied Dagha Bur, 600 miles north of Mogadishu, on March 10. The enemy losses sustained since our crossing -of the Juba River are now estimated at over 31,000. In other sectors our troops are continuing the pursuit of the Italian forces retreating towards the Abyssinian frontier. CAPTURED EQUIPMENT GUNS, PETROL. AND FOOD (British Official Wireless.) RUGBY, March 12. (Received March 13, at 1 p.m.) Cairo Press messages state that in addition to the capture of 31,000 prisoners since the Imperial forces crossed the Juba River large captures have been made in material. These are stated to include 4G field guns, 12 coast defence guns, and eight A. A. guns. The checking of captured equipment has not yet been completed, but it is known that the following quantities of material have been taken from- th» enemy—34s,ooo gallons of motor transport petrol, 2,000 gallons of aviation petrol, 3,000 tons of rice, 7,000 tons of sugar, and SSO tons of margarine. In a little more than a month the Imperial forces have utterly defeated the wliaie of the Italian Somaliland forces and advanced 600 miles into the heart of Italian East Africa. During the course of the operations the only two enemy ports of the Indian Ocean have been captured, and 11 Italian and four German ships were cither captured or destroyed.