SO MILES BEYOND DERNA

Waikato Times, Volume 128, Issue 21336, 5 February 1941, Page 7

SO MILES BEYOND DERNA

REPORTED CAPTURE OF CYRENE BRITISH BOMBER AIRCRAFT POUND POSITIONS PURSUIT OF FLEEING ITALIANS BITTER FIGHTING DAVENTRY, Feb. 5 British Imperial forces are steadily pushing on from Dema and are reported to have occupied Cyrene, 50 miles beyond Derna. The British strategy of pounding the enemy positions with the aid of bomber aircraft again paved the way to victory. No official announcement, however, in regard to the capture of Cyrene has been made. The Royal Air Force continues its merciless pursuit of retreating enemy columns, its deadly striking power becoming daily more evident. Aerodromes at Benghazi have been raided and numerous fires started. A communique from Nairobi states that forces operating from Kenya are making good progress, the British proving more than a match for the enemy. Six Italian aircraft have been destroyed in this area without one British loss. Successful operations continue in Italian Somaliland and in Eritrea. How bitter fighting took place for two days and nights among sun-scorched hills before the final assault was made is described in a communique giving more details of the capture of Agordat, the heavily-fortified post in Eritrea. A high ridge was captured by a famous Highland regiment and then enemy resistance crumbled when Indians took further hill positions.

ITALIANS HARASSED ROYAL AIR FORCE ACTIVE LARGE FIRES STARTED ENEMY PLANES DESTROYED (Omclal wireless) (Received Feb. 5, 11.30 a.m.) RUGBY, Feb. 4 A Royal Air Force Middle East communique says: Royal Air Force bomber and fighter aircraft continued to attack the enemy lines of communication on all fronts. In Libya our bombers raided the Berka aerodrome at Benghazi last night, dropped bombs on aircraft dispersed on the ground, and started large fires in several buildings. At Barce the railway station was

ITALIAN LOSSES SINKING OF TRANSPORTS SUNK BY SUBMARINE BODIES WASHED ASHORE (Official Wireless) (Received Feb. 5, 11.40 a.m.) RUGBY, Feb. 4 It is reported from Split, in Dalmatia, that two Italian transports, the Vittorio Veneto and the Valeriani Cole, were sunk on February 2 by an unidentified submarine near Vis. The bodies of sixty Italian soldiers and sailors, including three from the Italian auxiliary warship Armato, were washed ashore. The Bremen radio stated that a lifeboat from an Italian merchantman, containing the bodies of two sailors, was washed ashore on Yugoslavia.

heavily attacked and motor transport i was destroyed on the roads, r Our fighter aircraft throughout yesterday harassed the enemy by machine-gun attacks. Between Slonta and Tecnis, ten miles east of Barce, six separate attacks were made on troops which were withdrawing along the road, and there were several casualties. Between twenty and thirty motor vehicles were also destroyed. During the last two days the South African Air Force has accounted for six enemy aircraft in Abyssinia, without loss to themselves. On February 2 fighter aircraft destroyed a Caproni bomber on the ground at Afmadu, 60 miles northwest of Kismayu. The Italians replied with machine-gun fire. Yesterday a South African bomber attacked the Gobwen aerodrome, six miles north-east of Kismayu, dropping many incendiary bombs. Then the machine gunned the aerodrome, and as a result three S79’s, one Caproni, and one CR42 were destroyed. In support of the army’s successful advance in Eritrea our aircraft continued to attack the enemy. During the operations one CAI 33 was destroyed. The aerodrome at Gura suffered heavily as a result of a raid in which a number of direct hits were registered on buildings and nearby roads. From all these operations one of our aircraft failed to return.

BRITISH ADVANCE FRONTIER POSTS CAPTURED MANY CASUALTIES INFLICTED INTENSE PATROL ACTIVITY (Official wireless) (Received Feb. 5, 1.40 p.m.) RUGBY, Feb. 4 A Cairo Headquarters communique received on Tuesday evening states: In Libya our advance westward continues. In Abyssinia the capture of frontier posts on the Dukana front, referred to in yesterday’s communique, resulted in the infliction of nearly 100 casualties, killed and captured, at slight cost to ourselves. One additional post in this neighbourhood has been captured. Intense patrol activity continues in Italian Somaliland.

REPORT FROM ITALY NATIVE TROOPS’ SUCCESS (United Press Assn.—Elec. Tel. Copyrlg-ht) (Received Feb. 5, 11.30 a.m.) LONDON, Feb. 4 An Italian communique states that native troops on the southern front in East Africa forced the enemy to retire, inflicting notable losses. The enemy carried out air raids on several localities of Eritrea and Mogadishu. There were some casualties and damage. ACTIVITY RESTRICTED PATROLS AND ARTILLERY REPORT BY GREECE (Official Wireless) (Received Feb. 5, 11 a.m.) RUGBY, Feb. 4 The hundredth communique issued by the Greek Headquarters states that activity is restricted to patrols and artillery. SPEAKER INDISPOSED SUFFERING FROM CHILL •Official Wireless) (Received Feb. 5, 11 a.m.) RUGBY, Feb. 4 ! The Speaker of the House of Commons, who is suffering from a slight j chill, hopes to resume his duties in a i few day*.

IN FULL RETREAT ITALIANS FROM BARENTU RESISTANCE BROKEN (United Press Assn.—Elec. Tel. Copyright) LONDON, Feb. 4 The occupation of Barentu, Eritrea, on Sunday, following the fall of Agordat on Saturday, means that the first Italian line of organised resistance in Eritrea is completely broken, says a message from Cairo. Barentu was surrounded cm three sides, but most of the Italian garrison, estimated at 7000, escaped by a “bolt-hole” under cover of darkness and are in full retreat south-east-ward along a narrow, winding muletrack which joins the main Addis Ababa-Asmara road some 40 miles south of Asmara. MARSHAL GRAZIANI ORDERED SHORT REST (United Press Assn.--Elec. Tel. Copyright) NICE, Feb. 3 It is reported that Marshal Graziani is suffering from swamp fever and has been ordered a short rest. According to the Washington correspondent of the Herald-Tribune, Danish vessels are expected to be chartered soon to United States companies They will be used chiefly in Cthe South American trade and will not be employed in the North Atlantic.