ITALIANS IN ABYSSINIA

Nelson Evening Mail, Volume 76, 19 May 1941, Page 5

ITALIANS IN ABYSSINIA

, SURROUNDED AT AMBA ALAGI MISUSE OF WHITE FLAG i [U.P.A.-By Electric Telegraph-Copyright] | London, May 17 - ! r Further progress has again been •• made by the Indian troops from the p north and by the South African troops j- ; advancing from the south against the c I Italian forces holding Amba Alagi, in a i Abyssinia. The latter are now prac- r J tically surrounded, says a Cairo com- i munique. g “In the southern areas,” the com- v munique adds, “we occupied Giabis- f sire, 12 miles north of Alge. In other g sectors our advance is continuing. r “In north-east Italian Somaliland r our troops occupied the important j, Italian port of Dante.” c British troops have arrived at c Adola, 50 miles north of Neghelli, j where they found 80 men who had de- e serted from the enemy forces. 0 When Indian troops attacked entrenched Italians at Amba Alagi, the v Black Shirts hoisted the white flag. a and then hurled hand grenades at the a Indians, says the Addis Ababa corres- r pondent of “The Times.” t A company of Indians, moving up the v slopes of Mount Alagi, opened devas- 0 fating machine-gun fire on the enemy s entrenchments, but when the white t flag appeared the Indians ceased fire t and moved forward. They were within 30 yards when the Italians stood up j and showered hand grenades upon the attackers. Then they leaped out of the trenches in a counter-attack. The Indians withdrew from this difficult sit- s uation but suffered casualties. p 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 at- t tacked hourly from all sides and are under constant fire from artillery and t planes.