NEARLY 80,000

Grey River Argus, 19 December 1940, Page 5

NEARLY 80,000

ITALIANS CAPTURED

In Western Desert [British Official Wireless] RUGBY, December 17. A Cairo headquarters communique, says: In addition to Solium and Fort Capuzzo, our troops yesterday captured the enemy frontier forts at Musaid, Sidi Omar, and Shefferzea.

Fighting continues in the Bardia area, where our pressure on the enemy is steadily increasing as new forces . arrive. On Monday night, Australian troops successfully engaged an enemy column ,by moonlight, capturing transport and a gun. It is learned in London that both New Zealand and Australian troops have taken part in the victorious advance in Northern Africa, as well as

an Indian division commanded by Major-General Beresford Peirse. The operations on the Egypt-Libya frontier continue to develop, and the British pressure increases with the arrival of new forces. The fall of Fort Capuzzo and Sol-

ium after fierce fighting gives a brilliant start to the second phase of the British advance in the Western Desert. British warships are still steadily pounding the Italians and the Royal Air Force is continuing its fierce offensive. Yesterday British aircraft heavily bombed Bardia. Violent fighting is raging around Bardia, which British mechanised forces are- attacking. Advanced forces of infantry are following up the mechanised units, which apparently carried out a bold encircling movement. Overcoming resistance, 'daily be-

coming fiercer, the Imperial Army of

the Nile continues the hurricane advance towards key points. Bardia and Tobruk are wholly severed. These advances are constantly subjected to Italian dive-bombing attacks. The capture of the three forts, Sidi Omar, Shefferzea and Musaid, has given the British a commanding position on the escarpment. The forts form a semicircle. ■ Sidi Omar and Musaid are between Capuzzo and Solium. The forts are believed to be possessed of heavy defences, from which it is assumed considerable material was captured. “The Times’s” correspondent says: One of our armoured brigades has already reached the road from Bardia f o Tobruk, and attacked ■ the Italians, destroying eight tanks. From a point' near Bugbug, the R.A.F. gave) Bardia a terrific hammering for ‘over I two hours. 'This cannot have failed Ito help to break the spirit of the gar- | rison, which is believed to comprise: the shattered remnants of General [ Berti’s Tenth Army, also some Black Shirts. There are other troops in Libya—two army corps on paper—but' it is unlikely they will be able to hurry to the assistance of Bardia, owing to the shortage of transport, oil. I

One report of the land fighting in the Western Desert says that the Italians holding “Hell Fire Pass,” the narrow gorge near Solium leading from the coast to the escarpment, have been wiped out. An Italian camp nearby is said to have been captured. The main body of the British troops following the advanced forces are being provisioned to a large ’ extent from the stores left by the fleeing Italians.

Major Henry Wren, of the Royal Tank Corps, a former outstanding Rugby international, has died of wounds in Egypt. A young airman, pilot of a British eight-gun fighter, has set a record which will be hard to beat, by shooting down six Italian CR 42 fighters in 15 minutes. Five of the Italian pilots bailed out, so that there is no doubt about the fate of their machines. The pilot won the D.F.C. in Palestine, and has been with his squadron in the Western Desert ever since Italy entered the war. The Rome wireless reported tnat Bari was bombed by British aeroplanes, last night. Unofficial reports from Cairo state that 74,000 Italian prisoners were captured in the first eight days of the fighting. A Delhi report says that 20,000 of the prisoners are expected in India, soon.

The Government spokesman said: The latest reports from the Western Desert indicate that the British losses are infinitesimal, compared with the results. It would appear that the chief difficulties now are the weather and the difficulty of bringing up supplies.

Military circles deprecate speculation as to further advances in the near future, and point out that the attacking force is now 150 miles from the railhead.

Although Solium is a small harbour with deep water, and big ships can approach within half a mile of the land it is at present very near the scene of the fighting, and is so exposed to air attacks as to make its use in a large way at present impracticable.

Discussing the fighting in the neighbourhood of Bardia, the possibility is expressed that the operations here may have been designed to keep the garrison busy, and to prevent interference with the troops occupied in the capture of Solium and Fort Capuzzo.

The moral effect of the victory has been tremendous throughout the world, especially in the Middle East, while the threat to Egypt has been removed.

Rain, has now set in over the battlefield, and may hamper operations more than the recent dust storm, but it is not likely to last more than a few days. ■ln the 'northern frontier districts of Kenya, the cessation of the rainy period has enabled the British to recommence offensive patrolling on a considerable scale.

On the Sudan frontier the situation remains unchanged.