BRITISH DRIVE

Manawatu Standard, Volume LXI, Issue 87, 12 March 1941, Page 7

BRITISH DRIVE

OPERATIONS IN ABYSSINIA

NOTABLE ADVANCES

(United Press Association —Copyright.)

(British Official Wireless.)

(Rec..ll a.m.) RUGBY, Mar. 11. A Cairo communique states that there is nothing of importance to report in Libya or Eritrea. In Abyssinia the Imperial Forces have captured the Afodu escarpment and are nowi advancing towards Asosa (in the north).

In their retreat the enemy have abandoned four guns with quantities of other equipment, including an armoured car.

Further east the patriot forces have captured the town of Dambacha and are continuing their pursuit of the Italian column retreating towards Debramarkos. In Italian Somaliland our advance into Abyssinia is developing satisfactorily. Many hundreds of prisoners have been taken, including a brigade commander, the Resident Commissioner, and their staffs. AnR.A:F. communique says that in Italian East Africa bombers of the South African Air Force heavily raided' Harrar on March 8, several direct hits being registered on the barracks and other larger military buildings. Futher north workshops on the Decamere road near Teclesan and the railway near Habi Mantel were successfully attacked by R.A.F. bombers. Our aircraft have continued to give very active support to the troops closing round Keren. Several enemy gun positions were bombed and machinegunned. A bridge on the Keren-As-mara road was heavily bombsd and a large petrol dump was destroyed. Our fighters machine-gunned and destroyed two enemy grounded bombers. From all operations the aircrait returned safely. Enemy aircraft attacked Malta yesterday. 'There were, no R.A.F. casualties. ' The anti-aircraft fire damaged and probably destroyed several enemy fighters. Malta was raided five' times yesterday, making 11 raids in two days and over 400 in nine months. Several Messerschmitts machine-gunned the seaplane base. • Enemy aircraft approached Port Said last night. Some • bombs were dropped near R.A.F. aerodromes, but no damage was caused.