ADVANCE ON DAMASCUS

Otago Daily Times, Issue 24635, 17 June 1941, Page 5

ADVANCE ON DAMASCUS

ENCIRCLEMENT OF CITY 5 BRITISH CAPTURE SIDON FASTER COASTAL DRIVE V • - ''' ■ J ' " .' > ■ ' [ (United Press Association) , (Bv Electric Telegraph—Copyright V (Rec. 1.30 a.m.) -LONDON, June 16. It was stated in London this morning that two columns are converging on Damascus, and it is expected ‘ that this city will soon be surrounded. The forces advancing up the coast to Beirut have made rapid progress, and have reached a point 20 miles north of Sidon. . It was announced by Vichy that the British forces Sidon. , A Vichy official said that British tanks from Iraq captured Abukamel. - Air reinforcements from France have arrived in Syria. General Dentz issued a decree ordering officials to remain at their posts unless otherwise directed. Gendarmes patrol the streets of Damascus and Beirut at night as a precaution against disorders. Proclamations call on the people to remain calm. The evacuation . (rf civilians is being continued.. BRITISH OCCUPY LARGE TERRITORY An independent French Agency message from Jerusalem says Syrian and Lebanese territory thus far occupied by the Allies equals an area Of several French departments and contains nearly 500,000 inhabitants. Officers devoted to the Allied cause have already taken the first steps - towards .realisation-of the Allies’ promise of independence and reorganisation of the Departments of h inauce, Police, and Customs" Public Works and Education, which are now running smoothly under improved conditions. Merchants from Syria and Lebanon are being granted permits to purchase petrol anywhere in Palestine,, and they send into occupied territory wheat, flour, rice, sugar, coffee, and kerosene. FREE FRENCH LEADER WOUNDED ' The commander of the Free French, forces, General Legentil- , homme, was wounded 'during the bombing of a road by planes with tricolour markings, says a Damascus message. •>' A message from Jerusalem states that as the result of a flanking movement'Allied forces occupied Nahta, seven miles east-north-east of Kiswe.

DRIVE ON BEIRUT THE BRITISH ADVANCE ROAD THICK WITH OBSTACLES STRONG .ENEMY POSITIONS »'i (Vih;) r\. .. ’’'V 'l f LONDON, June 15. • The victors at Sidon are now pushing on against the defences of Beirut, the road to which is thick with antitank obstacles and snipers’ posts, and . ..General Dentz is reported to have 'established strong artillery and machine-gun positions; concealed in the olive groOes south of the town. The British advance northward from -Jezzin provides a means of passing by these defences on the coastal plain by ' traversing the- 1 mountains and outflanking the. main positions. . . : The capture of Jezzin was also valuable for the. operations against Sidon, giving the Allies control oL the road to Sidon, which, according to • the British United Press correspondent, was undefended, thus permitting the forces of the central sector to support the local. outflan king movement against ■Sidon.'' 'V-', Almost a Full-Scale Battle The fighting at Sidon provided the *nearest approach to a full-scale battle *oi far, with the Allied and German- ” Vichy planes and the British and Vichy Governments’ warships contesting the , seaward flank, and the air and-viand forces on both sides clashing south and east of the town. Vichy’s , official announcement of Sidoh’s fall followed hard on the heels of a communique from Beirut saying that while British warships continued a systematic bombardment of the Sidon district, armoured cars launched an attack on June 13 and 14. A Cairo communique states; In Syria the Allied forces are now in contact along the whole frontier with the Vichy troops. Position In Coastal Sector It was subsequently learned in London from Syria that on the coastal sector-the Allied forces have reached Sidon. In the central sector they have reached Jezzin, and the advance continues northward. Sidon is 25 miles south of the port of Beirut.

An H.A.F. Middle East communique states: In Syria our aircraft continued to support our advancing ground forces and also maintained patrols over our supporting naval units off the coast. R.A.F. fighters attacked German bombers and. escorting fighters, which approached dur naval forces. Several hostile fighters and 6ne bomber were damaged. A number of other hostile aircraft were attacked and damaged by our fighters near Rayak. Our bomber aircraft attacked hostile troops i and motor transport in the Mirgille area. Aircraft of the Fleet Air Arm torpedoed aln enemy Vessel near Beirut V Vichy Version of Fighting Vichy sources said General Denlz’s air force, with reinforcements flown from France, twice on June 14 forced the British warships to withdraw from the coast, but the British reinforced their naval strength to nine units, and Sidon fell when a severe naval bombardment made the position untenable. The bombers’ attacks on the warships, however, enabled the Sengalese defenders to hole! on until nightfall, after which they slowly withdrew under constant pressure from the Australians to positions on the. north back of the Nah-ed-d’Amour. The Beirut radio, admitting the withdrawal northward, says the British carried out violent land and sea attacks against Sidon last night and this morning. ’-/ V' Propaganda By Wireless Wireless is playing an important part in saving lives in the British campaign in Syria. Continual broadcasts are being made to Vichy troops explaining to them how they have been duped into playing the German game and are fighting Germany’s war for her. British and Free French proclamations are given out over the wireless as well as being dropped from the air in pamphlet form. -

In fact, the wireless is being used as a bloodless weapon of war in Syria, as it was in the campaign against the Italian forces in East Africa. Its object is to persUade the Vichy troops to give up this foolish struggle and join with the forces of de Gaulle and repel the Germans. Obviously, so long as this weapon achieves its object, as we know it is doing from the number of Vichy troops constantly joining de Gaulle from Syria, we are saving the lives of our troops. The longer this can be done without attempting to force the issue ? by violent battle the fewer the lives it will be necessary to sacrifice to gain our objective.