FIERCE FIGHTING.

Pahiatua Herald, Volume XLIII, Issue 13166, 27 January 1936, Page 5

FIERCE FIGHTING.

SECOND EDITION

STRUGGLE FOR MAKALE. ABYSS I MANS DEEPER ATE ATTACKS. United Press Assn.—By Electric Telegi*aph—Copy right. LONDON, January 25. Desperate fighting in which both sides claimed the advantage has raged round Alakale, whose fate is still in the balance. The combatants iire giving their lives recklessly. The jjresent stage of the conflict is the last phase of a general engagement in the Tembien region. The Italians while announcing a victory, admit losing 25 white officers killed and 19 wounded, 389 white soldiers killed and wounded and 310 askaris killed and wounded. These are the largest Josses since the inception ot the campaign. The Italians assert that the Abyssinia ns lost 8000 men, 4000 of whom are prisoners. The Abyssinians, whose combined forces were 40,000 under Ras Kassa and Ras Seyouni, discount the Italian claims and declare that the invaders lost heavily in hand-to-hand fighting between Alakale and Hauzien attendant upon a successful outflanking movement, but this success seems to have been temporary, Italian reinforcements having restored the position. Nevertheless the Abyssinians assert that their onslaught “broke the morale of the Italians and drove them in flight with the loss of two fortified positions, 1700 dead, 800 prisoners, 12 heavy guns, 112 ma-chine-guns. some tanks and an uncomputed quantity of rifles and ammunition.

An Italian wireless message from Alakale admitted that the position was desperate and implored reinforcements, but it is uncertain at what phase of the battle this was dispatched.

An official Italian account from Asmara points out that unlike previous northern engagements the third major Tembien battle was fought almost entirely by white troops, namely a Black Shirt division. Has Kassa faced with this opposition, attempted to surround the advancing column, throwing his entire force into the battle on the 21st in ail effort to annihilate the Black Shirts in hand-to-hand fighting. The Black Shirts fought valiantly all day and eventually broke the encirclement with heavy losses.

Ras Kassa on the 22nd adopted open formation, abandoning his customary caution and hurling all his men against the Italians, charging them again and again despite a murderous artillery barrage and machinegun volleys.

The Abyssinians were apparently insensible to losses and maintained that spirit until the 23rd when the So£Vningly inexhaustible forces ot Ras Kassa s troops stormed the Italian positions. The Black Shirts, despite furious bayonet charges, were losing ground when their commanders, scorning the delay in the action, rushed up reinforcements which turned the scale against the Abyssinians. The fresh troops, combining in the final assault with the Black Shirts, leapt from their defensive positions and scattered Ras Kassa's warriors in what is claimed to be as decisive a victory as Graziani's on the southern front.