FALL OF TOBRUK

Grey River Argus, 5 February 1941, Page 8

FALL OF TOBRUK

Premature Announcement army minister misled. SYDYNEY, January 25. Through an official error, Australia was told of the fall of Tobruk hours before the accomplished fact. Pra'cticallv the only reaction of Australians'was a good-natured laugh at the expense of the embarrassed Minister for the Army. Mr. P. C. Spender, who enthusiastically made the prematme announcement. The public had been thorough!,/ primed to expect the fall of the Italian stronghold; and, while the announcement caused great satisfaction and jubilation, there was no surprise. The afternoon newspapers carried the “news” in all editions, and national radio stations spread the tidings. At midnight the Federal Government had not received any official message confirming the report, and consequently there was considerable probing and questioning. CAUSE OF MUDDLE. The muddle was traced to a brief message from Melbourne which was wronglv interpreted as an official despatch from the war zone. It was presumed to be a’ message to the Government from the commander-in-chief in the Middle East (General Sir Archibald Waved.l Instead it proved to be a summary of a broadcast intercepted by army intelligence in Melbourne. The error was detected several hours later, when the full text of the message from Melbourne was re-examined.

A report of the muddle was sent to Mr. Spender in the WaT Cabinet room. The Acting Prime Minister (Mr. Fadden) had prepared a statement based on the capture of Tobruk. He sent instructions to his staff to delay its release to newspapers. The only official despatches received By the Government on Tuesday announced the early progress of the fighting. One from General Sir Archibald Wavell to Mr. Spender sa'id that up to noon on Tuesday the Tobruk defences had been penetrated up to a depth of five miles. Guns, stores and petrol had been captured, as well as many prisoners. Free French forces, the despatch said, had taken part in the attack. A cablegram to Mr. Fadden from the A.I.F. commander (General Sir Thomas Blarney) said that the Tobruk defences had been penetrated for a depth of four miles. The attack, he said, had begun at dawn. An Australian division was taking part. Details were scanty, hut advices indicated that the drive was progressing satisfactorily. MINISTER’S STATEMENT. After the Federal Cabinet discussed the matter Mr. Spender issued u' statement expressing regret for the error. “I regret," he said, “that, owing to an unfortunate mistake, which appears to have arisen in the Army Secretariat at Melbourne in placing before me a message which purported to be official, a statement was issued based upon it and relating to the fall of Tobruk. The fact that the news cf the fall of Tobruk was borne out does not excuse the error that was made. I have taken steps to ensure

that there is no repetition of such an occurrence. When this message wa's placed before me on the basis that it was official, I directed its immediate release to'give the public the news as quickly as possible.”