TAKING STOCK

Wairarapa Times-Age, 13 January 1941, Page 5

TAKING STOCK

ACHIEVEMENTS IN LIBYA ENEMY'S HEAVY LOSSES. NEARLY EIGHTY THOUSAND MEN. (Ri'itklt Official Wireless.) (Received This Day. 11.20 a.m.) RUGBY. January 12. A Cairo communique states: "Preparatory activities in the Tobruk area tire continuing. “On the Sudan frontier, our patrols have again been active. Operating east of GaHabal. our troops carried out successful raids on Italian positons. inflicting a number of casualties.” While awaiting further developments in the Tobruk area, the public are well content to take stock of what General Wavell and his men have achieved in a single month. The British forces have advanced 230 miles, capturing two ports, with the shipping in them, They have completely destroyed five Italian divisions and three Black Shirt brigades, inflicting losses totalling, in killed, wounded and prisoners, nearly 80.000. including 3.500 officers.

ARTILLERY DUEL

NO SIGN OF RELIEF ATTEMPT. LONDON Jmrnm-y 12. ihe- arti 1 l<-rv din-1 contimms at Tobruk. win i.- the I'riti.-h :ir<- -till bringing u;>‘ new guns :md oilier equipment. R.A.F’, fighters patrol constantly over the supply lines ..nd also west of Tobruk but there is little Italian air activity. .Marshal Graziani shows no signs of attempting to relieve the Tobruk garrison.

TOUCH OF GENIUS

IN ITALIAN ARITHMETIC. ] LOSS OF OVER 40.00(1 REDUCED ! TO .'H.’l. LONDON. January 12. i An Italian statement <>n casualties] in North Africa (iming December 1 , whin Sidi B.itrani was captured h--w ] | 77 killed. 307 v.oim.dad and ."13 miss-i A London cunimetit on tlie state-] . me!.: draws attention to the fact that) I in.OtX) pri’a ners were taken at Sidi] J Barram ami Solium F- rty th- n-and i i areordim: io lialian computation i-1 i It i: .•i;i!h<<ritativ<-ly 1 :.it< d a Cain ] ; rn< a;;e r< port \ that . ;i< <■ I mb<-i ” tin’ '.'..o' m..l< iin i <ap;.i[. ,j ■ W,- t.-rn Im-.-rt include- 41 medium] : ami 162 i.rht t.ml.s . r >S!> r.itm- m->rei • than 300 (Rio rounds of ammuniti. e 600 i . m.ach’i.e-ytm : 700 light gum, II OOO.PtX' 1 rnini!’ of ■ map arms .-.mi machmc- ] , gun amin::;ii’H,n .-nd 1700 b>rri< ■ I