ITALIAN ADVANCE ON MAKALE

Timaru Herald, Volume CXL, Issue 20261, 9 November 1935, Page 17

ITALIAN ADVANCE ON MAKALE

BLACK TROOPS IN LEAD MEMORIES OF FORMER DISASTERS BITTER COMBAT FOUGHT BY RIVAL NATIVES United Press Association—By Electric Telegraph—Copyright (Received November 8, 8.15 p.m.) ROME, November 7. While General Biroli’s Askaris are carrying out the most direct thrust on Makale, the Italians do not wish the honour of occupation to fall exclusively on the natives. Accordingly they arranged for a column of regular Black Shirts, who were advancing towards Quika, to swing westwards and participate in the entry into Makale and hoist the tri-colour on the Church of Endajesus, which the Italians under Colonel Galliani in 1895 transformed into a fort with the aid of gravestones from the churchyard. Colonel Galliani held out for a month and marched out with the honours of war but was killed at Adowa. The Askaris fought one of the bitterest combats of the war when they attacked Mount Gundi, meeting fire from well-situated and cleverly hidden machine guns. After two hours the situation became critical. An Italian officer, in leading a renewed advance, was wounded, upon which the infuriated Askaris swarmed up the hillside and bayonetted the defenders. ITALIANS ENTER MAKALE NO SIGNS OP DEFENDERS United Press Association—By Electric Telegraph—Copyright (Received November 9, 1.5 a.m.) LONDON, November 8. Correspondents with the Italian northern army report that Italians entered Makale at 9 a.m. Their forces had overnight occupied dominating positions, not sighting the main body of the enemy, who had abandoned their line of fortified posts at Wagaro and Ambasalama, preliminary to which they .had lost 500 prisoners in sharp fighting in which Italian cavalry was conspicuous. At dawn, however, there was no sign of the defenders. A brigade of infantry a regiment of Bersaglieri and a detachment of Ras Gugsa’s native traitors entered the town unopposed and hoisted the tri-colour on the Imperial palace. Makale was the capital of Ras Gugsa’s former domain. Details of Advance The special correspondent of "The Exchange News Service,” who is with the Italians, says that today’s advance was carried out by a column of Askaris of General Biroli’s army along the Geva river into the Valley of Guenfeld. Another column, in the afternoon, reached the top of the mountain, Endemosoboh, secured possession of the southern slopes and placed outposts within three miles of Makale. The Askaris are expected to occupy Makale to-morrow morning. Meanwhile the Black Shirts are consolidating the area gained and developing the lines of communication. The Askaris have also begun an offensive on the Italian extreme right, from the Setit river to Aksum, Crossing the river near the Soudan border and rdvancing southwards, two battalions of Eritrean natives are advancing in a south-westerly direction from Aksum, with a view to preventing the Abyssinians in the north-west joining the armies of Ras Kassa and .Ras Seyoum.