ENEMY FORCES TRAPPED.

Manawatu Standard, Volume LXI, Issue 143, 19 May 1941, Page 7

ENEMY FORCES TRAPPED.

AN NT H TL ATI ON FA CED. (British Official "Wireless.) 11UGBY, May 17. Explaining the situation in Southern Abyssinia, an East African correspondent. describes where, alter the fall of Addis Ababa General Gazzera-, aged 62, Italy’s senior officer in East Africa, ; took command. it is a vast, crude i parallelogram with the diagonals IJ6OI miles north-west to south-east, and ISO: miles , north-east to south-west and comprising Lcchemti, Jimma, and the j central lakes. For a month the Imperial troops j have thrust inward from Addis Ababa i to Abaiti, from Adam ito Sciascia-j manna, from Yavello and Neghelli to' Hondo, from Lake Rudolf to Maji and! from Gambela toward Leehemti. The annihilation of General Gaz-i zera’s forces is inevitable. They are surrounded. Their morale is low, they | desert numerously after a- bombing! raid, and are responsive to pro-Ethio-pian advocacy. Often they are unpaid, i unfed, and poorly equipped. In all areas the patriot forces are increasing. !

Rut in tliis mountainous country, yvhose features rise to 14,000 ft., progress is difficult. One of the most important developments is at the southeast corner of the parellelogram. The attack from Yavello and Neglielli has proceeded in terrible fighting country. Here the troops are opposed by Italian forces who. thanks to competent officers, have put up a more determined resistance than at Desseye. Though the British losses have not been severe, they have rather more than normal. Hie capture of Algo aftei prolonged actions on May 10 represents a great military performance. The enemy is holding Gabasire and Adola on these two roads. Meanwhile, the King’s African Rifles have pressed on from Admn, assisted by patriots but frequently impeded by j tile effect of tho rains. One column, driving south from the lakes, captured j a file moving across the Gidu River to Bubisha, yvest of Lake Sciala.

Without attempting to predict the future, it is obvious that the Italians face two dangers. Tn certain circumstances the enemy at Loelmieti would find it difficult to retire to Jimma. The fall of Sciascamanna imperils the line of retreat of the strong Italian forces now- resisting at Gabasire and Adola. Thus the weak points are in the north-west and especially in lhc southeast corners of this over-stretched parallelogram. Tho final act of the Abyssinian campaign will possibly be staged in a great circle round Jimma

ITALIAN PREACH EH A’. British troops have arrived at Adola, 50 miles north of Neghelli, whore they found SO men who had deserted from the enemy forces. When India i troops attacked entrenched Italians at Amba Alagi, the Blackshirts hoisted the white flag, and then hurled hand grenades at the Indians, says the Addis Ababa corrospon- ! dent of the Times. I A company of Indians, moving up the slopes of Mount Alagi, opened devastating machine-gun fire on the enemy I entrenchments, but- when the white fla'g appeared the Indians ceased fire and moved forward. They were within 00 yards when the Italians stood up and showered hand grenades upon the attackers. They then leapt out of the trenches in a counter-attack. The Indians withdrew from this difficult situation but suffered casualties. The fighting which is occurring in the mountains can only be described as stupendous. An Italian communique says that the Italians at Amba Alagi are being attacked hourly from all sides and are under constant fire from artillery and planes.