COUNT AWAITED

Gisborne Herald, Volume LXVIII, Issue 20477, 11 February 1941, Page 9

COUNT AWAITED

MORE ITALIANS PRISONERS IN LIBYA BRITISH PRESSURE ERITREA PENETRATION ETHIOPIAN MINEFIELDS (Elbc. Tel. Copyright—United Press Assn.) (British Official Wireless.) Reed. 1.30 p.m. RUGBY, Feb. 9. A Cairo communique states: “Advanced elements of our armoured forces in Libya occupied El Ageila. Meanwhile the clearance of the battlefields south of Benghazi is continuing. “In addition to the army commander and corps commander already reported as captufed, five other senior generals and many thousands of prisoners have been taken. Owing to the extent of the area covered by the i final operation, it will be some time before the exact number of prisoners and the amount of war materials can be assessed. “In Eritrea, although the enemy reinforced his troops holding positions about Keren, our operations in this area continue to develop satisfactorily. Further south we remain in close pursuit of the disorganised Italian forces which are making their way over difficult country towards Arreza. “In Abyssinia, our progress along the Gondar road has been temporarily slowed up by extensive minefields which are now being cleared. “Intensive patrol activity in Italian Somaliland has still further deepened the areas of our penetration.” An Italian communique gives the Italian war casualties in January in North Africa as 51 killed, 77 wounded and 4080 missing. Other figures of casualties, according to the Italian version, are: “East Africa, 54 killed, 42 wounded, and seven missing. Greek front: 2194 killed, 4712 wounded, 2T>39 missing, exclusive of six killed, nine wounded and 63 Albanians missing. Navy: 49 killed, 132 wounded, and 216 missing. Air force: 55 killed, 118 wounded, and 447 missing.” The Italian communique continues: “Enemy attacks in the Keren sector and also tlje Somali border were repulsed. The enemy attacked aerodromes of the Aegean islands. No casualties wefe caused and the damage was slight.”