Italians in Full Retreat From Egypt

Manawatu Times, Volume 65, Issue 307, 16 December 1940, Page 8

Italians in Full Retreat From Egypt

Saturday's News

FURIOUS BATERING FROM SEA AND AIR HASTENS THEM ON

More Generals Captured United Press Assn.—By Electric Telegraph.— Copyright. LONDON, December 13. Relentless bombing by the R.A.F. of Italian aerodromes and the ceaseless activity of British fighter aircraft have resulted in the retreating Italians being thrown into ever-increasing confusion in the battle in the Western Desert. Harried by swiftmoving mechanised units, machine-gunned from the air, at many places under constant shellfire from naval guns, and constantly in danger of being outflanked, the Italians are in rapid retreat. Air reconnaitsance reveals that Marshal Graziani’s army headquarters is being withdrawn from Bardi, which is just within the Libyan border, and towards which large forces are moving along the wide highway which the Italians recently constructed to supply their desert army. “The operations against the Italians on the Libyan frontier continue to develop satisfactorily, 71 the latest Cairo communique •tates. “On the Western Desert, the remnants of the beaten Italian army continue their withdrawal, closely followed by our advanced troops. “In addition to the three senior generals captured yesterday, two further general officers commanding divisions are now in our hands. The number of prisoners also has been increased by several thousands, but, owing to the area of the battlefield, it is still impossible to give the precise figures. “Along the Sudan frontier, our patrols continue to harass the enemy and to inflict casualties.’*

The operations in the Western Desert have exceeded everyone’s expectations. Th Italians have been taken completely by surprise, and th amount of war material captured is enormous. Several thousand prisoners, in addition to tfee 20,000 already announced, have been captured. It is stated that five Italian divisions have been forced to abandon fortified positions. ruel and oil supplies which the Italians had been building up over the past three months have been captured. Royal Air Force planes have been carrying out heavy raids on Tobruk and Bardia, where a store dump was heavily attacked and set on fire. Flames 1000 feet high were seen to spring up. More than a dozen aerodromes have been bombed, and much damage has been caused. Three CH-t2*s have been destroyed on the ground, and others severely damaged. luse Likely. Military circles in London. renting on the operations in the Western Desert, where, on a battlefield of 420 square miles, the British forces are engaged in “mopping up” pockets of resistance where they are found among the scattered and disorganised Italian troops, point out that a pause in the operations or even no furhter news should cause neither surprise nor disappointment when the activities of the last five days are considered in their proper perspective, as well as the task immediately before the British troops. The great distance in the waterless country will make dealing with as many as 20,000 prisoners a task of difficulty, while five days’ desert fighting and travelling over long distances will impose a severe strain on men and machines which alone will jaeceesitate rest, repair, and overhaul. Military circles lay special emphasis on the smoothness without which, they say, the operations could not have been •ecomolished with such outstanding success, and which was the result of careful and lengthy preparations and training Major-General O'Connor in Command. It is revealed that the officer in command in the Western Desert, and therefore in particular control of the recent operations, is Major-General R. N. O'Connor. This British general holds the Italian silver medal for valour. He was military Governor of Jerusalem during the 1939 troubles. Elation over the British victory is generally reflected in London Press comment. The Times says: “The booty is certain to be enormous, because the Italians had been building up their advanced base in the hope of resuming their offensive against Egypt. It is not the victory alone, and not the removal of the menac to Egypt alone, which will hearten the whole Empire and all our friends outside it; there will also be universal delight in the boldness of General Wavell’s conception, the masterly skill of the planning, and the co-operation of the R.A.F., Vhich blinded the enemy in the skies.”