GRAPHIC STORY

New Zealand Herald, Volume LXXIII, Issue 22346, 18 February 1936, Page 11

GRAPHIC STORY

INVADERS' ADVANCE STUBBORN RESISTANCE DEFENDERS OVERWHELMED By Telegraph—Press Association—Copyright ROME. Feb. 1G A. war correspondent's diary recounts the progress of the Battle of Enderta as follows : February 10: The Ist Army Corps, comprising the Sabauda Division on the left and the 3rd of March Black Shirt Division on the right, advanced from the Quiha lines north of the Gabat River, reaching unobserved their positions from Auzeba to a hilltop opposite Scelicot. February 11: The Army Corps crossed the Gabat and the Sabaudas occupied the hog-backed Mount Adimara, beyond Scelicot. Ten thousand Black Shirts crowned the eminence of the eastern spur of Aradam without resistance.

February 12: The Sila Division of the 3rd Corps crossed the Gabat at dawn. Covered by 4in. and Gin. batteries, along a five-mile front, accurately registering on the enemy movements, which were signalled by aeroplanes, the corps captured the crest of Danfa, west of Aradam, after courageous resistance which was overcome by rifles and machine-guns. The object had been gained with the loss of nine Italians, when heavy rain interrupted hostilities in the middle of the afternoon.

Fierce Opposition Overcome The Sabauda Division on the left, moving toward the Buia Plain, east of Antalo, encountered fierce opposition, involving attacks and counter-attacks. While the Italians were scaling the eastern spurs of Aradam, the Ab3 Tssinians with two heavy batteries shelled their machine-gun nests until they were silenced. The Black Shirts, however, fighting doggedly, were reinforced by the crack Alpine infantry, and reached their objectives on the Endagaber ridge on the flank of Aradam early in the evening with the loss of 129 dead and 275 wounded. Many of the latter subsequently died. February 13: The day was devoted to consolidation, the 3rd Army Corps and the 23rd of March Division of Black Shirts moving across the Gabat Valley in a. heavy downpour. Then 2500 Abyssinians launched a surprise attack on the extreme left, thereby surrounding a battalion of the Sabauda Division, which, assisted by artillery, cut their way out. Our losses were 18 dead and 64 wounded. The Abvssinians lost 400 killed. Aeroplanes bombed the advancing Ethiopian reinforcements. The 3rd of March Division discovered an Abyssinian battery shelled to fragments excepting two tiny 47 millimetre guns. Final Assault on Hilltop February 14: The day was occupied with aerial bombing of Abyssinian reinforcements, while storms churned the roads into slush, retarding communications and hampering the taking off of aeroplanes. Ras Mulugeta was reported to have left Aradam under cover of darkness. February 15: The Italians' advance was resumed on both flanks against stubborn opposition. It was mainly directed against tho inner columns ascending the mountain and neglecting the outer columns crossing the lower slopes. The Italians threw in every man and machine-gun and repeatedly charged with the bayonet defenders, who wielded long curved swords. The Italian artillery plastered every possible objective until tho Duke of Pistoia, with a unit of the 23rd of March Division scaled Aradam and planted the 'ltalian flag on the summit. By nightfall the enemy was retreating in darkness.

The Italian flanking columns overcame resistance and reached Antalo on a front from Belesat to Adimai Chaha, finding Antalo full of the corpses of Abyssinians who had been bombed. SIGNOR MUSSOLINI BISHOP'S EULOGY (Received February 17, G. 35 p.m.) LONDON. Feb. 16 The Roman Catholic Bishop of Southwark, Dr. P. E. Amigo, addressing the congregation in St. George's Cathedral said: "I believe in Signor Mussolini. He is an able man. He has tried to do as much good as possible. He has made mistakes. So have I and others. "If he loses his position there will be a revolutionary upheaval in Italy which may spread to England."