THE FALL OF BENGHAZI

Southland Times, Issue 24356, 10 February 1941, Page 5

THE FALL OF BENGHAZI

PERFECT TIMING OF ATTACK ITALIANS’ RETREAT CUT OFF (United Press Assn. —Telegraph Copyright) (Received February 9, 10 p.m.) LONDON, February. 8. Messages from Cairo emphasize how General Wavell’s strategy in sending Australians along the coast road, while armoured units forked south from Tobruk to Mekili, applied the coup de grace to Cyrenaica. Italian resistance at Mekili was overcome after two days. Armoured units then, without using radio in order not to reveal their positions, struck out for Benghazi. Some distance before they reached the town they turned south and reached the coastline below Benghazi, cutting communications with the rest of Libya. The whole of this movement was timed to synchronise with the arrival of the Australians outside Benghazi. The plan worked perfectly. The defenders of Benghazi were faced by an enemy on both fronts and their retreat was cut off. A special headquarters communique about the operations leading to the capture of Benghazi states: A British armoured formation made a forced march of 150 miles in 30 hours, brushing aside resistance en route, to close the enemy's last line of retreat. Surprised by the speed of this brilliant exploit, enemy troops, endeavouring to withdraw from Benghazi, found themselves hemmed in. Enemy armoured forces, which were numerically superior and were supported by infantry and artillery, then made a determined effort to break through our cordon. Every effort was repulsed with heavy loss to the enemy. After 60 of their tanks had become I battle casualties, the enemy ceased fighting. Prisoners surrendered in large numbers and they included an army commander, a corps commander and many other senior officers. Quantities of war material of all descriptions were also captured. It was later announced from Cairo that the army commander captured was General Bergonzole, the officer commanding the whole of Cyrenaica, second to Marshal Graziani. He was in command of the Italian forces at Bardia. The news from Benghazi is still scanty. It is not yet known how many remain of the two Italian divisions recently encamped around the town, but British uniforms, today seen in the palmlined avenue of Benghazi, provide the inhabitants with evidence of the defeat of the Italian forces. WEAPON OF SURPRISE The skill with w'hich General Archibald Wavell, Lieutenant General Sir Maitland Wilson, and Major General R. M. O’Connor have been able to make use of the weapon of surprise throughout the Libyan campaign is commented upon by military experts here. They recall Marshal Graziani’s original dispatch in which he said that when the Army of the Nile made its first attack there had been no element of surprise as everybody foresaw its possibility. Yet, at the first blow the

Italians in the Nibeieva outpost of Sidi Barrani were taken completely by surprise at the unexpected appearance of the British forces, and were overrun. The next move was at Bardia, where there was no chance of a similar surprise as the Italians knew they were surrounded and that obviously there was going to be an assault. Here the surprise was when, after the usual artillery preparation, the troops attacked somewhere else.

Tobruk was a different task, with its much wider perimeter, but here again the blow fell from an unexpected direction, and the town was taken. Finally Benghazi fell through the surprise of a forced march, and the tremendous speed with which the British forces moved. An interesting comparison is to be found in figures of similar campaigns. The Germans, advancing through country well-roaded, and full of food and petrol took 24 days for nearly 200 miles from Sedan to Dunkirk, averaging nine miles daily. General Allenby in 1918 advanced 340 miles from Nablus .to Aleppo in 38 days—again about nine miles daily. General Wavell has advanced 450 miles in 57 days on his own petrol and with no water. Also he had a “hold up” of five battles on. the way. His average is also about nine miles daily. STILL PUSHING ON A British armoured column which cut off the Italian retreat from Benghazi has now reached the coast between Soluk, an important road and rail junction 60 miles southward of Benghazi, and Jedaba, where the coast road meets the three roads from the interior. Cleaning up is proceeding in these areas. Our armoured units are believed to be pressing on towards the Gulf of Sidbra, where the 300mile desert between Cyrenaica and Tripolitania begins. A Cairo headquarters communique states: In Libya operations south of Benghazi are proceeding satisfactorily. In the Keren area of Eritrea our pressure is increasing, while further south our troops are continuing pursuit of the enemy withdrawing towards Arreza, which is about 75 miles south of Keren, and 60 miles south-west of Asmara. Along the road to Gondar in Abyssinia our mobile units are pressing forward. Penetration of Italian Somaliland by our patrols is continuing successfully. The South Africans operating from Kenya have captured a strong post, Gorai, 20 miles inside Abyssinia. They routed the enemy. “OF NO STRATEGIC VALUE” An Italian communique admits the British occupation of Benghazi after a fierce battle south of the town in which an Italian force suffered grave losses. It adds that Benghazi was evacuated to spare the population hardship. The Italian radio says that the capture of Benghazi is only of sentimental value. It is of no strategical importance or of any importance in relation to the final result.

The Duke of Aosta flew from Addis Ababa to Asmara to visit the northern front and confer with the military command.