EGYPT CLEARED

Grey River Argus, 18 December 1940, Page 5

EGYPT CLEARED

OF ITALIAN FORCES Solium and Capuzzo Occupied [Aus. & N.Z. Cable Assn.] RUGBY, December 16A brilliant success by the victorious army of the Nile, the capture of Solium and Fort Capuzzo, has chased the Italians out of Egypt. This stirring I information was given in a Cairo official communique, published in Lonjden shortly before midnight, as follows: —“Our troops to-day occupied -Solium and Fort Capuzzo, capturing a i number of aircraft on the ground. I Further details are not yet known" ’ American, correspondents report that Bardia has fallen, but this is 'not confirmed in Cairo. I A communique from the Commandi er-in-Chief, Mediterranean (Admiral Sir Andrew Cunningham), said naval forces had been active along the coast between Sidi Barrani and Bardia, and carried out several successful bombardments. An attack was made on British naval units by E-boa'ts, but these were driven off. An Italian Submarine which attempted an attack while the warships were shelling the shore, was sunk. A .Cairo message states that throughout Saturday night the Royal Navy was pouring in shells on Italian positions disorganising their frantic attempts to consolidate defences against the land attack.

On the Frontier

HARDER FIGHTING.

LONDON, December 16,

Some Italian' resistance is reported in a communique issued to-day by the British headquarters, Cairo, which states: “In Egypt, the enemy is still holding strongly defended positions about S'ollum. Meanwhile, our advanced forces are well across the Libyan frontier, where fighting continues. Bad weather is still interfering with visibility. Some of the most bitter hand-to-hand fighting since the last war, has been going on near the Egyptian frontier,- according to observers in the Western Desert

British headquarters at Cairo are not prepared to say whether Graziani has moved up reinforcements from Libya, but it is believed that the Italian forces, which the British at present are fighting, consist of remnants of the beaten army from Egypt, together with garrisons manning the chain of forts in the coastal sector. It is authoritatively stated that British forces are now fighting in the neighbourhood of Solium. Bardia and Capuzzo. Signor Gayda writing in “Giornale d’ltalia,” says: Britain has concentrated three hundred thousand men in Egypt. The Italian forces are inferior to the British in some respects, but they are fighting hard. Eight hundred British cars and tanks are carrying out an encircling action in the desert. SUCCESSFUL COMMANDER. LONDON, December 16. It is authoritatively stated that the commanding officer of the British division in the Western Desert campaign is Major General Creagh, described as a dashing cavalryman. He was a former commander in the Fifteenth Hussars.

EARLIER FIGHTING. [British Official Wireless! RUGBY, December 16. The first British success, the capture of Nibeiwa, has been graphically described by a Reuter correspondent. The most eastern of the Italian bases in the Western Desert, Nibeiwa, was strongly defended. Outside, it was guarded by land mines and inside the encampment were heavy batteries. Blasting salvops of gunfire woke the Italians at 4 o’clock on the morning the British offensive began, but then came a period of quiet until the Italians were at breakfast. Then about a dozen British tanks charged into the camp from the rear with all their guns blazing. Indian infantry then took a hand, charging into the camp from the front through the minefields. Some of the mines Lew up. The Italians were so taken by surprise that tank crews had no time to get into their tanks The commander of the Italian armoured division (General Maletti) was hit in the lung by a bullet and died as he was being carried to a tent. The Italians I were completely routed, and only a handful escaped.

The British forces then attacked two other camps further’ to the west and only at one was there any serious resistance. Here 12 Italian tanks were knocked out. The British forces reformed their lines after they had taken these camps and commenced the advance on Sidi Barrani. Tanks reinforced by infantry attacked Sidi Barrani from the south and the west and other forces of infantry attacked from other directions. The right wing of the attackers quickly reached its objective, but the left wing came under heavy fire and 25-pounders were brought up to clear the way.

The final attack came at 3 p.m., when Highlanders and other infantry regiments charged with fixed bayonets. When they approached the camp the Italians began to flee, but between 3,000 and 4,000 were taken prisoner Others who escaped were harneu uy British forces further to the west. CAPTURE OF SIDI BARRANI. The “Daily Telegraph’s” special correspondent, describing the capture of Sidi Barrani t reveals that one brigade, supported by tanks, bore the brunt. A unit of a famous South County regiment held a stretch of high ground on the left wing, the Highlanders held the centre, and the Midlanders took the right flank. A squadron of the most modern tanks aided the left wing/ and .smashed a way through, enabling the infantry to storm and occupy the objectives. Meanwhile centre and right wing were delayed by heavy enfilading fire. The Brigadier sent the centre to the assault. The Highlanders charged against savagely-in-tensified opposition, and hand-to-hand fighting followed, before the attack|ers gained a foothold on a low ridge, i Tanks from the left wing nosed round between Sidi Barrani and the shore, and rounded up bands of Italians who

(were trying to escape. The Highlanders later launched a final attack, racing down the slopes and fighting the final stages of the battle against isolated groups of Black Shirts, among clusters of wrecked buildings.

British casualties in the land operations are reported to be amazingly light considering the intensive nature of the fighting. One British armoured brigade which captured 1,400 prisoners m an hour, signalled urgently for assistance in watching them, as it was anxious to continue the advance. British troops are mopping up all over the battle zone, which is littered with guns, ammunition, and equipment of every kind. The dead are being buried where they lie. It is reported from Alexandria that hordes of ragged Italian prisoners are pouring through the town, where they are being watched by large crowds of jubilant Egyptians. British officers are being cheered by Egyptians and foreigners alike. The Egyptians have enthusiastically celebrated the British success. It would appear thaj. the Italian reserves in the war theatres have been appreciably diminished as the result of desert fighting and the Albanian reverse. Greek captures of material have been so considerable that her armies are reported to be better equipped now than at the outset of the campaign. A feature of Britain’s Western Desert victory that has enormously impressed newspaper corresponaents visiting the scene of the Italian debacle, is an immense amount of military stores and equipment of all kinds captured. It is stated that the amount is more than double that used by the British to drive the Italians out of Egypt. N.Z.’s CONGRATULATIONS. WELLINGTON, December 17. Mr. Fraser has sent the following message to General Wavell. Cairo: “The Government and people of New Zealand extend their warmest congratulations to you and all those under your command, on the brilliant victory in the Western Desert. We are filled with pride at its splendid conception and execution, and are confident it is a happy augury for the future of British and Allied arms.

Air Force's Activity

ITALIANS LOSE 26 PLANES. LONDON, December 16. It is officially stated tnat British machines have bombed every Italian landing ground in the wide area covered by the fighting, and, in addition, a heavy attacK was carried out 6n Bardia, a few miles inside the frontier. Heavy damage was done to barracks and warehouses, and there were many large explosions. Bardia an<; Tobruk were still burning from earlier raids. The French Air Arm has been cooperating with the Royal Air Force in attacks on Italian positions along <-..e coast. British machines have even been as far as Tripoli, and they gained three direct hits on ships there. Twenty-six Italian aircraft were shot down or destroyed on the ground. Of these, 14 bombers and four fighters were shot down by one squadron and three fighters and three bombers were shot down by other squadrons. At Derna, two machines were destroyed on the ground and others were severely damaged. The destruction- of many other machines on the ground seems certain. Royal Air Force machines maintained constant fighter patrols to cover the British .advance Three British machines failed to return — one bomber, one fighter, and one reconnaissance machine—but one may be safe within the British lines The R.A.F. activity is dealt with in a communique which states: “Despite bad weather, the R.A;.F. continued to attack the enemy landing grounds and aerodromes in the Western Desert. On Sunday our fighters, maintained a protective patrol for, our advanced troops. During the nights of December 14 and 15, and lb and 16 raids were carried out on Bardia,’ Timini, Gubbi, and Eladem. | At Bardia, fierce fires, which could be seen from a distance of 60 mues, were caused. The jetty was hit and considerable damage was done During Monday and Sunday, Bomba, Appolonia, Derna and Benina were visited by our bombers. R.A.F. fighter aircraft carried out an offensive patrol over a wide area reaching as far as Tobruk. During this operation, two CR42’s were shot down. One other enemy fighter was probably destroyed. Throughout these intensive operations no R.A.F. aircraft was lost. In Italian East Africa, a night attack was made on Gura, bombs falling on the aerodrome, hangars and near the aircraft parked at one end of the' aerodrome. On the same night, Zula, Gondar Assab and Banardar were also raided. Fires were caused among the buildings in the oarrack area at Assab, and the aerodrome at Gondar was heavily bombarded. Large fires were started .n a nearby at Bahardar, bombs "'ell well within the target area. The full extent of the damage was not observed. AUSTRALIANS GO INTO ACTION. (Received December 18, 12.30 a.m.) ADELAIDE, December 17. The Prime Minister, Mr. R. G. Menzies, is at present in. Adelaide. He announced to-day he had received a special despatch from the ’ Com-mander-in-Chief of the ’ British (Forces, General Wavell, that Australian troops had been in action against Italians in the Middle East.