CLOSING IN ON KEREN

Waikato Times, Volume 128, Issue 21358, 28 February 1941, Page 5

CLOSING IN ON KEREN

POSITION OF DEFENDERS PRECARIOUS ITALIANS DEMORALISED IN SOMALILAND MANY OF THE ENEMY SURRENDER VOLUNTARILY DAVENTRY, Feb. 28 Imperial forces in Eritrea are daily increasing the threat to Keren and the position of the defenders in this strongly-fortified Italian post is rapidly becoming more precarious. The fall of Mogadiscio, in Italian Somaliland, has apparently demoralised the Italians in this area and many of the enemy are surrendering voluntarily. It is now revealed that the British forces entered Mogadiscio practically without resistance. In Italian Somaliland and in Abyssinia the African Air Force is raining destruction on the enemy and harassing infantry columns as they retreat before the oncoming Imperial troops. The first news to come from Libya for some days reports that British advance units 140 miles along the coastal road from Benghazi have had a brush with enemy reconnaissance units. NO OPPOSITION AT MOGADISHU BRILLIANT BRITISH ADVANCE (Official Wireless) (Received Feb. 28, 11.23 a.m.) RUGBY, Feb. 27 Details of the brilliant British advance in Italian Somaliland which culminated in the capture of Mogadishu is given in an unofficial account from Nairobi which says that, during the night of February 25/26 East African troops entered the town without opposition. Owing to the defeat of the enemy on the line of the Juba River, the speed of the British advance, and the hurried evacuation of the Italians, the town suffered littlf damage. It has been impossible hitherto to assess the number of prisoners and material captured, and many Europeans and Askaris are still surrendering. This achievement has been possible by the co-operation of all three services and the vigorous action of all the forces employed. The greatness of the achievement may be appreciated when it is realised that during the period from February 12 to February 25, starting from advance bases already at the end of a line of communication 220 miles long, fighting formations have advanced in face of opposition over single track roads a distance of 570 miles. In addition the major water obstacle of the Juba River was crossed—a line which the Italians apparently thought impregnable—in face of opposition.

GERMAN VEHICLES ENCOUNTERED IN LIBYA ALLIED SEAMEN RELEASED PRISONERS OF WAR c Official Wireless) (Received Feb. 28, 2 p.m.) RUGBY, Feb. 27 Advanced elements of our mechanised forces encountered and drove back a patrol of armoured fighting vehicles, west of Aghelia in Libya, says a Cairo communique. The vehicles are believed to be German. In Eritrea, while our forces continue to actively contain the main body of the enemy about Keren, further progress has been made by our column advancing southwards from Kubkub. In Italian Somaliland the rapid and vigorous advance of the West African forces from the River Juba to the capture of Mogadishu, has evidently demoralised the enemy forces in this area. They are offering themselves for surrender all along the large stretch of country which we have overrun. Thousands of Prisoners Several thousand prisoners have already been counted and many more to come in. In addition large quantities of war material of all kinds has fallen into our hands. Not the least satisfactory feature of this highly successful advance is that we recovered 200 Allied seamen who had been held for many months at Merca by the Italians as prisoners of war. Merca is on the Italian Somaliland coast about half-way between Brava and Mogadishu. BRITISH MAJOR STROKE CAPTURE OF MOGADISCIO (United Press Assn.—Elec. Tel. Copyright) LONDON, Feb. 27 The capture of Mogadiscio is a major stroke and underlines the remarkable pace with which the British campaign in Italian Somaliland is making progress. A communique states that advanced elements of East and West African troops occupied the town on Tuesday evening. Hundreds of miles of country lie between Mogadiscio and Cape Guardafui, the north-east extremity of Italian Somaliland, but it is valueless and almost uninhabitable. From Mogadiscio run two allweather roads, one toward the Jibouti-Addis Ababa railway and Harar, and the other north-west-ward to Lugh, on the Juba River just inside the Italian Somaliland frontier of Abyssinia.

READY FOR TEST AUSTRALIA’S WAR EFFORT “IN A HOT SPOT” ) TRIBUTE FROM AMERICA (United Press Assn.—Eiec. Tel. Copyright) (Received Feb. 28, 11.55 a.m.) NEW YORK, Feb. 27 Life today publishes an illustrated article of eight pages on Australia’s i war effort, stating: “Australia has done by far the ! best job among the democracies in : rearming. It has passed India’s | munitions output and is overhauling ! Canada.” j The article concludes strikingly: i “These faraway people are in a hot j spot nearest the scene of Japanese expansion toward Singapore. The Australians are ready for the test.” THE JERVIS BAY j CASUALTIES ANNOUNCED i j (United Press Assn.—Elec. Tel. Copyright) (Reecived Feb. 28, 2.15 p.m.) LONDON, Feb. 27 I The Jervis Bay casualties were ] 198 of whom 190 were killed or prej sumed killed, including winner of the | Victoria Cross, Captain Fegen. BRITISH SHIPPING PLEA FOR ORGANISATION “SCANDALOUS INCIDENTS” (United Press Assn.—Elec. Tel. Copyright) LONDON, Feb. 26 In furtherance of a campaign for more efficient organisation of shipbuilding, the Daily Mail in a leader quotes the Chamber of Shipping’s complaint that bureaucracy has a strangle-hold on the mercantile marine. j “ When shipmasters reach port they are plagued by a horde of officials from various departments,” the paper adds. “ Their time is wasted in interviewing and form filling. Their vessels are delayed by the leisurely processes of the civil service. “ We must appoint a Minister of shipping with a place in the War : Cabinet—a man who knows shipping. i ■who has the ruthless drive required ] for gingering up the whole organisation. He might immediately end such i scandalous incidents as that on Clyde- ; side when 500 shipyard workers were i locked out for half a day because j they arrived on the job two minutes ,late. |