AFRICA AND SYRIA

Greymouth Evening Star, 18 July 1941, Page 5

AFRICA AND SYRIA

ACTIVITY AROUND TOBRUK AUSTRALIAN SUCCESSES RUGBY, July 17. A General Headquarters, Cairo, communique, states: Libya: At To - bruk, on the night of July 15/16, an Australian fighting patrol penetrated for 600 yards enemy positions, and successfully assaulted two strongpoints. After inflicting enemy casualties substantially greater than the strength of the patrol itself, our troops withdrew. By dash and determination, the patrol again surprised and outmanoeuvred the enemy locally, in greatly superior numbers and well-entrenched positions. Frontier area patrols from our armoured forces, admirably supported by mobile artillery, have been active, inflicting casualties upon the enemy in personnel and material. Abyssinia: Our pressure is increasing upon the enemy forces holding Wolchefit Pass, north, of Gondar. During a local advance on July 15, oux - troops gained an important posi - tion and dispersed a "counter-attack, with loss to the enemy. Syria: Under the terms of the convention, the Allied forces have now occupied selected strategic points. Central and south-east Syria: British and Indian troops, whose rapic advance from Iraq and Palestine was arrested only when the negotiations for a'cessation of hostilities were initiated, are now in process of occupying further positions in the northern area. The occupation 0 Beirut has been completed. A cordial reception was accorded to the Allied forces, particularly the Aus tralian troops, who have been in the forefront of the advance in the coastal sectors. —8.0.W. AERIAL FIGHT OFF TOBRUK. LONDON, July TZ. The British Associated Press correspondent with the R.A.F. in the Western Desert says: “R.A.F. fighters 'intercepted German dive-bombers attempting to attack supply ships en route to Tobruk, sending them mtc the sea at the same dizzy speed as then bombs. The ships’ crews cheered a' six Junkers and one Messerschmiu. trailing streams of smoke and flame crashed into the Mediterranean. A pilot sard: “The Junkers seemed tc lie burning all ovex - the sea. It real!} was a lovely party.” A South African Tomahawk squadron .first sighted fifteen dive-bombers flying m tigh formation, escorted by a big formation of Messerschmitts. Hurricanes joinec in the fray as the Junkers were divm? to release their bombs. After a running fight over ten miles off Tobruk only nine Junkers remained. PRISONERS AND BOOTY. RUGBY, July 16. Now that the campaign agains the Italians in East Africa has virtually been brought to a successful close, it is possible to reveal detail, of the number of troops engagec and of the total number of prisoner: captured* When Italy entered the war it wa 1 computed that she had 325,000 mei —125,000 white and 200,000 Africa: troops—in her East African coloniei At the same time the British force, on all fronts in East Africa totalled fewer- than 25,000, of which 500 only were white. These, of course were later reinforced. Of the Italia) forces, nearly 100,000 of the 125,00) Italians are prisoners. Six thousant are still at large and the rest an dead. Of the 200,000 native troop.some 60,000 are prisoners and th' rest have deserted. Many are nor fighting with the Abyssinian pat 11 In’equipment, the British capture; ■ nearly 800 guns, thousands of ma chine-guns, 150 tanks, and thousand: of motor-vehicles.»

ENTRY INTO_ BEIRUT. WELCOME TO AUSTRALIANS HAIFA, July 16. An Australian war corresponded relating the entry of the troops u Beirut, describes tremendous en thusiasm on the part of the people who went wild with excitement, am throw flowers at the Australian sol diers, patted their backs, blev kisses, waved from windows, swarm ed on the tops of every building, am cheered and cheered. The band o the Australian Headquarters Guar' made matters livelier by playin ‘Mademoiselle from Armentieres. The troops, with rifles sloped, thre-. abreast, and wearing weather-beatei slouched hats, stained with five weeks of dust, treated the affair as : splendid reward for incredibly tough fighting in terrible country They were followed by procession' of citizens gesticulating and talkin torrents of French. The Australians who by this time could make them selves understood in almost any language, grinned, lit cigarettes, ant waved to all and sundry. They cab ed everybody “George.” From con versations with the police, it wa learned that the majority of ’th Syrians and Lebanese detest the Vichy Government’s French officials who grabbed all the best jobs, ex torting a comfortable living, whil the rest of the country has sufferet extreme privation. The people ar looking forward to better tradin' conditions, now that free intercourswith Palestine and Egypt has beer established.

ITALIAN DISCONTENT , LONDON, July 17. It is reported that serious disturbances occurred at Piraeus, in Greece among the soldiers of an Italian Division who were about to be sent tc the Turkish frontier, and also amon< other Italian units sent there. GENERAL WEYGAND. VICHY, July 17. It is officially stated that Genera! Weygand has been appointed Gover-nor-General of Algeria in succession to Admiral Abrial. . . General Weygand will remain the Government’s general delegate m North Africa. - —