RETREAT GOES ON

New Zealand Herald, Volume LXXVIII, Issue 23870, 22 January 1941, Page 7

RETREAT GOES ON

ITALIANS IN ERITREA j BRITISH OFFENSIVE OPERATIONS AT KASSALA By Telegraph—Press Association—Copyright (Received January 21, 8.30 p.m.) LONDON", Jan. 27 The Italian retreat in Eritrea goes on over flattish, sandy country with occasional rocky masses, says the special correspondent of the Times in a despatch from Cairo. The British armoured cars and tanks are forced to dodge between the rocks, while Abyssinian guerilla forces, armed with rifles and with short knives strapped to their arms, cut round to the hills behind. The Italians have only a few miles of easy going beyond Sahilerat before entering the forest-, and mice there they can take the winding 100-mile track to Agordat and attempt to establish a new line in the hundreds of foothills between Agordat and the Sudan border. New Positions Occupied A communique from British headquarters in Cairo states: "hi the Sudan the enemy withdrawal on the Kassala | front continues. Localities about Sabderat and Tessenei, which the Italians had strongly fortified, were occupied on Sunday without opposition by British troops, who are now operating to the eastward in contact with the retreating enetnv. Jn the .Metomma area British patrols have been active. In Kenya, by continued offensive action, British

mobile detachments are steadily gaining ground, inflicting casualties on the enemy. The capture of Kassala was the climax of a series of nibbling operations which had been proceeding since the entry of two Italian divisions on July 7. 1940. The British commander, with a far smaller force, had a hard nut to crack. Stony hills occupied by the Italians lay on the Eritrean side of the town, and 40 miles of waterless desert on the Sudanese side. Kept Italians Guessing The British kept the garrison guessing by almost daily patrols, engaging in short, sharp skirmishes in which many Italians were killed or captured. The British force was thus deployed to such advantage that the Italians ultimately realised that Kassala was untenable. The British forces were ridiculously small for the task. The Italians were daily expected to launch a big attack on the Sudan, which sur- ! prisinglv did not take place. Patrols in August revealed the Italians were extending northward from Kassala and occupying all the outlying hills, establishing a strong line along the frontier. The British broke up the line by the skilful use of small-scale patrol parties. They made a raid in October right round Kassala, cutting the enemy's telegraph lines and destroying a number of armoured lorries. It became essential that the British should command the Italians' lines of communications, and British forces courageously and skilfully carried out a series of actions. Sheik Brings News By early .December most of the cluster'of hills to the north of Kassala were in British hands. A similar process was carried out in the south, until just before Christmas it appeared that the Italians had had enough. The end came quickly. The Italians evacuated their headquarters on January t. The Sheik of Kassala 10 days later notified that the Italians had withdrawn by visiting the British commander outside the town and declar- ! ing; "Sir. the Italians have gone/' Ihe sheik next morning, riding a white charger, led the British into the town, and the overjoyed townspeople feted their liberators. It is learned that between IiUU and 2000 Italians had been killed or wounded in the Kassala region since the commencement of the operations. Kassahvs recaptured landing field will naturally he of first-rate importance to assist the Boy a I Air 1< orce bombing of Agordat and Massawa. The Royal Air Force previously was forced to fly twice as far. COST OF RAID ON MALTA HIGHER GERMAN LOSSES LONDON, .Tan. 20 A report received from Malta says it. is now known that 17 enemy aeroplanes, seven more than previously claimed, were destroyed in the raids on the island The total of enemy aeroplanes lost in three days was 37. It is confirmed that five others were probably destroyed and nine damaged. BARGES FOR INVASION STILL IN CHANNEL PORTS i LONDON, Jan. 21 German invasion barges are still in Channel ports and are being kept ready for immediate use. Coastal Command aircraft are keeping a close watch by day and night on these barges in case Hitler should launch his invasion. Britain will have good warning when bis preparations are complete.