FALL OF GONDAR

New Zealand Herald, Volume 78, Issue 24135, 29 November 1941, Page 12

FALL OF GONDAR

ITALIANS SURRENDER LAST STRONGHOLD DESERTIONS FROM ENEMY BRITISH LOSSES LIGHT By Telegraph—Press Association —Copyright LONDON, Nov. 28 Gondar," the only remaining Italian stronghold in Abyssinia, surrendered yesterday, states the mid-day Rome "North-east of Gondar an enemy muie train was ambushed and scattered by our forces," said an earlier Nairobi communique quoted in a British official wireless message. ."Deserters continue to reach our lines carrying rifles, machine-guns and ammunition. Operations are continuing. "During recent operations against Gondar, *in which the Sudanese, African, Indian and Free French forces attacked, our casualties were light and amount to less than 1 per cent of the total forces engaged."

The Celga-Azozo road, west of Gondar, has been cut by patriots; Deseiters report that after Tadda Ridge, seven miles south-east of Gondar, had been captured by Allied forces, Colonel Terli, commanding the Italian reserve brigade, gave orders for a counterattack but the troops refused t,o obey. The hangar of the Azozo aerodrome was seen burning furiously and direct hits were scored pn buildings and tienches south west of Azozo by the South African Air Force on Wednesday. Buildings, huts, tents and trenches npar Gondar were successfully attacked and machine-gun posts silenced. Euemy posts at Maldiba, three miles south-east lrom Gondar, were also bombed and machinegunned. CHANGE OF ROLE DEFENCE TO OFFENCE BRITISH FIGHTER AIRCRAFT ;(R*cd. 5.35 p.m.) LONDON, Nov. 27 How Royal Air Force fighter aircraft have almost completely changed their role from defence to offence is recalled by a competent Air Ministry source. 'Spitfires that used to sit expectantly on forward aerodromes or patrol the skies above English fields and the Channel, ready to swoop at invading Nazis, now carry the offensive against the enemy many miles from home bases, often ill company with fast day bombers. Hurricanes, equipped with new heavy armament or carrying a mixed load of machine-guns and bombs, range over enemy-occupied lands. Their prey is anything from a German freighter to a machine-gun post. Long-range fighters have carried an "air umbrella" for\bombers operating as far as Antwerp. • These changes have been made possible by technical improvements. The speed, armament, ceiling and range of the modern fighter have all been raised —in Spitfires and Hurricanes no less than in new type and American air-1 craft A similar progress may be ' counted on in Typhoons and others not yet announced. The_ higher ceilings have presented their own set of problems, human as well.' as,mechanical. The latest Messerschmitt "109 probably has a ceiling of about 41,000 ft. Without giving details of what new British fighters can achieve, it is obvious that the Royal Air Force is not likely to concede to the enemy an advantage in height to offset "the advantages British fighters have so far maintained. INFLATION DANGER WAGES APPLICATIONS ECONOMIC EXPERTS' FEARS (Reed. B.3fi LONDON, Nov 27 The ever-present shadow of inflation is again in the mind of economio experts here, with the coming hearing by the National Arbitration Tribunal .of a claim for a wages increase by shipyard •workers, which will be heard to-morrow, and a similar claim by engineers. The Government some time ago issued a statement of policy on price stabilisation. The National Arbitration Tribunal was set up in peace time to deal with the issue of facts before it and can have np concern with public poliey in the matter, The Times says: ''The responsibility for a major decision of policy cannot be placed on the shoulders of an arbitral tribunal appointed for quite pther purposes, Along with emphatic agreement on the evils of inflation there is failure tg agree on methods of prevention, and until there is agreement culminating in a "wages pojicv the country is in clanger of drifting into the perils which all fear and yet cannot combine to avoid," STATUS OF LEBANON INDEPENDENCE -DECLARED RESTRICTIONS FOR DURATION BEIRUT, Nov. 27 General,: Catroux, in a ceremony held at the Palace, proclaimed Lebanon an independent sovereign State. It is, however, subject to restrictions imposed by the present state of war. The proclamation stipulated Lebanon's right-to create her own national defence forces, but for the duration of the war the Allies will oontrol Lebanon's defence, Lebanon will place its defence forces at the disposal of the Allied command,. ENEMY SHIPS SUNK AIR ATTACKS IN CHANNEL LONDON, Nov. 27 "A formation of Coastal Command Beauforts, with a fighter escort, attacked an enemy supply ship off The Hague this morning,'' says an Air Ministry communique quoted in a British official wireless message. "The ship was bombed from a low level, hit and left sinking, "Fighters, including some carrying bombs, attacked an enemy convoy near the coast of Normandy this afternoon and sanka supply ship and two anti-air-craft ships. Two enemy fighters wore encountered on the way home, and were shot down into the Channel. Two of the ships were blown tc pieces. One pilot said he had never seen anything like it before. One ship was converted into a 'fantastic inferno' and then it immediately disappeared. Another pilot said one of the other ships seemed to fall to pieces in the sea. "Enemy aircraft on the ground at Bleck aerodrome and shipping at Boulogne w£re also attacked bv fighters during the day. Three fighters are missing. "Bomber Command aircraft, in considerable force, last night attacked the port of Emdon and other objectives in north-west Germany. The docks at Ostend were also bombed. One aireraft is missing." British: bombers raided targets in north-western Germany to-night for the second night in succession. The German news agency states that western and north-wfistern Germany were raided tonight. Bombs were dropped and there were casualties.