Eritrea Advance Continue

Northern Advocate, 13 February 1941, Page 6

Eritrea Advance Continue

[British Official Wireless.] (Received 12.30 p.m.) RUGBY, February 12

A communique issued by general headquarters at Cairo states that in Libya there is nothing of importance to report. In Eritrea, our forces are operating from the north and occupied El Ghena, capturing prisoners and equipment. The advance is continuing.

Operations about Deren are developing well, while our column operating further south penetrated stiff further into hostile territory. So far, 8G guns have been captured or destroyed on this front. On other fronts there is no change in the situation. More British Successes.

In addition to El Ghena, where 200 prisoners were taken, British forces in East Africa have captured two Italian posts and another mountain. Mechanised units seized Maimefales, an Italian post 60 miles west of Asmara, in Eritrea. The Italians fled in this direction after the bombardment of Barentu.

A speedy British mobile force has already captured large: numbers of Italian lorries on the Barentu-Maime-fales road.

Nothing has been heard for some days of the Italian column which retreated from Ummhagar, and took to the bush in order to escape its pursuers.

“The Abyssinians will deal witfi them,” remarked the Cairo military; spokesman. Indians operating around Keren took a mountain position 4000 feet up, after they had captured a nearby mountain. Nearly all the Italian positions ore this front have been taken by the infantry crawling up the mountain sides through thick bushes in the face of machine-gun fire from trenches on the height above.