EAST AFRICA WAR

Grey River Argus, 6 February 1941, Page 5

EAST AFRICA WAR

ITALIAN RETREAT In Eritrea and Abyssinia [Aus. & N.Z. Cable Assn.j LONDON, February 4. British forces have occupied 10,000 square miles of Eritrea, nearly °“ c quarter of the Italian colony. The fall of Barentu took plac fc after British motorised forces had cut the road behind the town leading to the north-east. With this communication severed, the garrison had the option cf retreating or fighting it out. In typical Italian style the garrison chose the first method. The Italians at Barentu had a garrison of between 7000 and 10,000 men, and it was expected they would put up a strong icsistance, but in this seCuOi the enemj 7 showed no more lighting spirit than on any other front. British motorised units are swiftly following the Italians, but as the country through which the enemy is retreat.ng is readi/y adaptable to defensive action, it is expected that the British forces may meet with stiff opposition if the Italians make a stand.

Barentu is an important position as a railhead, and its capture clears the way for a push to Asmara, the capital of Eritrea, about 100 miles to the east.

The Royal Air Force closely cooperated with the ground forces. A series of low-diving attacks were carried out on forts and buildings, and several dumps were hit. Fifty armoured vehicles were smashed tip in one attack

The British in Eritrea are daily inflicting new blows on the Italian troops from Agordat, and are approaching the gates of Keren, on e of the important rail centre s in Eritrea. The R.A.F. heavily pounded the station. which tops a cliff-like escarpment 6000 ft uplands. The Italians unless completely demoralised, are likely to attempt a big stand on this heaven-sent defence position. Sudanese and armoured troops are the spearhead of the British drive, while heavier forces are mopping up isolated centres of opposition on the road from Agordat. Guns, armoured vehicles, and lorryload s of troops are protected by British fighters; and anti-aircraft. Forces from Barentu are advancing steadily. One enemy post, manned by natives, stoutly held out until surrounded, but the main body of Italians are retreating. Scores of Abyssinian soldiers ar e deserting to the British. R.A.F. ACTIVITY. LONDON, February 4. A R.A.F. Middie East communique states: In support of the Army s successful advance in Eritrea, our aircraft continued io attack the enemy. Dur-1 ing Ihe operations one CA 133 was destroyed. The aerodromes at Gura suffered heavily as the result of a raid in which a number of direct hits were registered on buildings ana nearby roads. From all the operations, one of our aircraft failed to return. n

Capture of Towns

BARENTU AND AGORDAT further particulars. (Received Feb. 5, 8.50 p.m.) LONDON, February 4. British forces are five miles west of Keren, and are gathering, as t e> press on great batches of prisoners, and also masses of guns and ammunition, which the Italians jettisoneffi British guns are harassing tired Italian troops with tremendous bar rages. Already the Italian rearguard has been halved, and has lost seventy ner cent, of its material. The captors of Barentu took prisoners fifteen hundred of the enemy. They killed five hundred Italians A large quantity of guns, ammunition and stores were captured British forces pushing on towards Gondar are now over thirty miles from the Sudanese frontier. lhey have reached this point despite t e Italians determinedly using obstructive tactics. The magnitude of the Agordat victory deserves emphasis. Agordat is a centre of Italian civilisation in East Eritrea, and has been a big military and air base since the invasion of Abyssinia. The defenders included the crack Second Italian Colonial Brigade, with light medium artillery, under the command Colonel Lorenzini, whp is regarded as being among Italy’s most brilliant soldiers. The British commander tried to push armoured units eastward to cut off Agordat from Asmara but he was forced to admit that the ground was too difficult. A Scottish battalion, reinforced by Indians, was therefore sent to take Cochem Hil , overlooking Agordat from the east. They endured forty-eight hours of an inferno of fire, fighting four and a half Italian battalions. Constant and heavy Italian artillery fire made it most difficult to supply them. The position looked bad. Then British armoured cars, supported by a famous British regiment, made a successful attack against prepared defences running out from Cochem Hill. Later an Indian regiment, with orders to take and hol'd objectives to the last man, stormed four smaller hills east of Agordat. Simultaneously R.A.r. planes spotted a strong Italian column coming in from the east. British armoured units and infantry attacked and knocked out in a few minutes eleven tanks, which was half the enemy’s force. The Italians then retired from an impregnable height, Laquetat, south from Agordat. A swift attempt was made to cut off the retreat of the Italians from Agordat. The enemy, however, were too quick. They slipped out in the darkness over a secondary road to Asmara. The British entered the town without resistance. The Italians suffered very heavy losses. The killed and the prisoners exceeded 2200. General Wavell recently visited the Eritrean battlefront, and watched a phase of the battle for Barentu. ITALIAN REPORT. LONDON, February 4. An Italian communique states that native troops on the southern front in East Africa forced the enemy to retire inflicting notable losses.