PHENOMENAL SPEED
SOUTH AFRICAN TROOPS ABYSSINIAN CAMPAIGN (British Official Wireless ) Reed. 9 a.m. RUGBY, May 29. The Dominions Secretary, Viscount Cranborne, in a broadcast to South Africa, paid a warm tribute to the part played by the South African forces in the East African victories. The Union forces had advanced through 250 miles, from Kismayu to Italian Somaliland, at the rate of 23 miles a day and at the rate of no less than 50 miles a day after crossing the Juba River. They improved even on this. On March 31 they reached Gabreparre, 370 miles from Mogadiscio. This marked an average of 31 miles a day. Jijiga, Harar and Diredawa fell in succession, and the capital, Addis Ababa, was reached in two days from the Awash River, a distance of 110 miles. Then followed Dessie and finally Amba Alagi. The Union forces had covered 1500 miles in 94 days, a feat so much beyond comparison that there was no need to quote the figures of the Italian campaign five years ago.
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Bibliographic details
Gisborne Herald, Volume LXVIII, Issue 20568, 30 May 1941, Page 5
Word Count
172PHENOMENAL SPEED Gisborne Herald, Volume LXVIII, Issue 20568, 30 May 1941, Page 5
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