ADVANCE ON TRIPOLI

Grey River Argus, 12 February 1941, Page 5

ADVANCE ON TRIPOLI

ANOTHER PLACE TAKEN British Ruling Cyrenaica [Aus. & N.Z. Cable Assn.j LONDON, February 11. A British Headquarters communique at Cairo states: —"In Libya, the clearance of the areas up to El Agheila is proceeding satisfactorily.” General Wavell’s troops are now far beyond Benghazi, striking west from donquered Cyrenaica towards Tripoli. In their drive along the coast road, they have taken El Agheila, 150 miles south of Benghazi and 10 miles from the border of Tripolitania. I It is announced from Cairo that 1 Sir H. Maitland Wilson has taken over the command of Cyranaica, as Military Governor and General Officer Commanding-in-Chief. j The battle of Soluk, lasting three days, led to the final callapse of Benghazi, allowing the Australian infantry the honour of being the first Imperial forces to enter the town. The reception was amazing. Australians marched into the square in front of the municipal hall, and found It crowded with Italians, who thronged the balconies and massed the sidewalks, and cheered the conquering troops. More cheers resounded when the Brigadier, who had chased the Italians all the way from Bardia, left his car while the troops presented arms. Cries in Italian of “Long live Democracy,’ were audible as the Brigadier spoke to the Mayor, the Chief of Police, and the Roman Catholic Bishop. The commanding officer of the Carabinieri, said he would continue to maintain order, if his men were, allowed to keep their arms. me Italians’ principal desire was to en-| sure the business of the town should i proceed normally. The Carabinieri and police expre*ssed willingness to i work under the British command. j Conversation with all classes of Italians revealed the sincerity of the hearty greetings. An elderly woman, whose two sons are in the Italian Army, said: “Like Bal no, we did not want war, but were forced to follow. We like the British. They can make this country great by reestablishing order, with the Arabs.” The majority of the settlers are anti-Fascists, wh 0 had great admiration for Balbo, who was killed, some said, because he saw what, was coming. The Italians made a determined stand at Soluk. General Berganzoli then realised that further resistance was impossible, as the ammunition was almost exhausted. The entire staff- surrendered, along with at least 21,000 more prisoners. The British advance at Soluk bordered on the miraculous, covering with unprecedented speed the 125 miles of desert separating Mekili from the railhead, tinder the most difficult conditions, with high winds and sandstorms. Yet our armoured forces beat the Italians by two hours) in the race for preliminary positions. | A rifle brigade of the small Free French force took up positions overlooking the Benghazi-Jedaba road, running west of Soluk, and the Italians found themselves rounded up by armoured divisions. The Secretary of State for India (Mr Amery), referring to the Libyan campaign, said that never before in history had a campaign been more secretly prepared, more successfuliy planned, more swiftly executed, or more remorselessly carried through, ( than that of General Wavell. The I campaign was remarkable for the cooperation of the three Services, and for the fact that the men taking part were drawn from all parts of the Empire.

The Egyptian Government has asked His Majesty’s Ambassador at Cairo, to transmit to the British Government its warm congratulations on the capture of Benghazi. AIR RAID ON TRIPOLI. LONDON, February 10. A Royal Air Force Middle East communique stated: On Saturday night, aircraft of the Fleet Air Arm carried out a successful raid on Tripoli. Bombs fell on the seaplane station, where a hangar was set on fire.

Italian Commander RECOUNTS BATTLE NEAR BENGHAZI. (Received February 11, 7.40 p.m.). LONDON, February 11. General Bergonzoli, giving the storj' of the battle of Soluk, said that one thousand women and children refugees were the unwilling spectators of th e carnage of their menfolk as they were mown down by British guns. General Bergonzoli said that he had been surprised when British armoured units appeared on the line of retreat to Tripoli, because the Italian air force had not indicated that British armoured units were near. The Italians did not believe th e British to have been capable of journeying from the interior in time to intercept them. The Italians, said the General, had allowed a group of civilian refugees to join their fleeting columns. These, according to General Bergonzoli, became panic stricken, and, as the fight developed fiercely, the women and children fled from the battlefield, which was strewn with perambulators, toys, and household goods. A prisoner at Barce declared that Bruno Mussolini was in that town a few day s before its capture. N.Z. Casualties IN DESERT PATROL WELLINGTON, February 11. Hon. F. Jones said to-day that the only information he had received in connection with the casualty list published yesterday, recording that several members of the New Zealand Expeditionary Force had been killed in action, and that some were prisoners, was that these casualties had occurred in the South Libyan Desert, while on patrol. “All I know, so far, is that these men were attached to a long-range desert group on patrol in that area,’’ he said. WHANGAREI MAN KILLED. WHANGAREI, February 11. Sergeant A. B. Robinson, who has

been killed on active service m Africa, was a Whangarei boy. He had visited almost every corner of the Globe in the course of a seafaring life. He accompanied both the Ellsworth and Byrd expeditions to the Antarctic. .