IN POSITION TO STRIKE

Nelson Evening Mail, Volume LXXIII, 11 December 1940, Page 5

IN POSITION TO STRIKE

THE BRITISH ARMY BOGEY OF INVASION FADES OFFENSIVE BEING TAKEN LONDON, 9th December. The Cairo correspondent of “The Times” states: “To-day just six months after the Italian entry into the war, fine, the British forces in the Middle East taking the offensive on most of the fronts. “On the Abyssinian border Sudanese troops are hammering daily and nightly with artillery and machine-guns against the Italian positions at Metemma and Kassala. and the Royal Air Force is backing them up. “The Royal Navy is scouring berth the eastern and western Mediterranean. seeking an opportunity to attack. “The R.A.F. is battering at Albanian towns as the Greeks advance. “A staff officer has summed up the position in saying that it is ‘incomparably better than when France fell and much better than two months ago, but it is still difficult and full of possibilities. We are quietly confident; all the three Services have been strengthened, an the Dominoins are just getting into their stride on a big scale to support us. It will probably be a long war.’ The correspondent continues: “The

gradual, if slow building up of Britain’s Middle Eastern army has been made possible by the havoc wrought by the R.A.F. and the Navy on Graziani’s communications and also the dashing tactics of our mechanised cavalry in establishing absolute supremacy, which will rank as one of the most brilliant episodes in British military history.

“The effectiveness of the hammering the R.A.F. has given the Libyan ports and supply depots can be judged from the fact hat the Italians, when they attempted an offensive in September, soon found the effort defeated by the problem of supply, and from then on for three months they were practically tied down to the desert points to which they originally advanced, thanks to the co-operation of the three services. “The bogey of invasion, which for months scared the citizens of Cairo and Alexandria, gradually faded, *tnd the shoe is now on the other foot, because as a result of the reinforcements of men and materials, the British army is in a position to hit back.” NOT MENTIONED (Received 11th December, 10.10 a.m.) LONDON, 10th December. An Italian communique does not mention the British advance in the Western Desert. It says that the Italian left-wing on the Greek front threw back enemy attacks and inflicted severe losses. The Italians repulsed a British contingent on the SudanEritrea frontier and inflicted severe losses. Enemy air attacks on the Assab-Jibouti railway caused little damage. EXCELLENT IMPRESSION CREATED [British Official Wireless] (Received 11th December, 11.15 a.m.) RUGBY, 10th December. The encouraging report the Prime Minister was able to give the House of ' Commons on the initiative which the forces under the command of Sir Archibald Wavell have taken against the Italians in the Western Desert has created an excellent impression at Westminster. Particular satisfaction is felt at the evidence of the close and fruitful co-operation between the three services. The Prime Minister’s announcement that Free French Forces are taking part in the offensive action against the Italians has also given pleasure here and the knowledge that French troops are once more on the march against the enemy will bring a lift of heart to Frenchmen everywhere. ITALIAN UNREST MUSSOLINI SAID TO BE IN DANGER fU.P.A.-Bv Electric Telegraph-Copyright] NEW YORK, 30th November. Unrest in Germany and Italy—particularly Italy, where Mussolini is said to be in danger—is described by two American commentators. Warren Irving, correspondent of the National Broadcasting Company, both in Berlin and London, who returned to New York yesterday, said: “The R.A.F. io far more successful at hitting military objectives than is the Luftwaffe. British morale is twice as high as German. The Nazi army, scattered all over Europe, and facing sabotage, is not nearly as strong as is believed abroad. “Italy is draining Germany of badly needed food and raw materials, and is holding up the Balkan push. If there is a revolt anywhere it will probably be :n Italy, where Mussolini is in greater danger than ever before. There is whispered dissension in Germany, where the common people are existing on miserable food—burnt barley for coffee, and little else besides spaghetti, macaroni and cabbage.” In one of the strongest articles he has written, Major Eliot, military commentator of the New York “HeraldTribune,” says that Italy’s defeat in Greece has had two results. First, it has permitted Britain to occupy bases useful for dangerous attacks on Italy itself; second, it has brought the Axis its first land defeat. Unless the Italians can defeat the Greeks a complete collapse of regime will be possible. Italy has been at war since June, and there are no military successes to her credit, except occupation of British Somaliland. In East Africa 60,000 Italians and large bodies of native troops are cut off and threatened by incipient, if not active, native risings. In Libya an army of 250.000 is bogged down on the edge cf the worst desert in Africa. The Italian navy’s perstige is lowest of any navy in modern war, and the Italian air force suggests little confidence in its fighting qualities. Another Italian reverse might bring General Weygand on the side of the British.