ATTACK ON EGYPT

Evening Star, Issue 23685, 19 September 1940, Page 9

ATTACK ON EGYPT

Italians Consolidating Positions SPEARHEAD OF THREE DIVISIONS No Major Ehgagement Yet (British Official Wireless.) Press Association—By Telegraph—Copyright RUGBY, September 18. (Received September 19, at 10 a.m.) The latest communique issued to-day from general headquarters in Cairo states: “ During yesterday and last night the enemy has been engaged in consolidating his positions in and around Sidi Barrani, where he has been heavily and successfully bombed. On the other fronts there is nothing to report.” The occupation of Sidi Barrani brought the Italian advance 75 miles from the frontier in five days, establishing Marshal Graziani’s forces at the commencement of a fine asphalted road running through Mersa Matruh to Alexandria. The spearhead of the invading forces, totalling three divisions, is already on and pushing along this road. Others are frantically M digging in ” at Solium and Sidi Barrani, which the attackers intend to use as bases for their operations from the oases further inland. The road from Solium runs f southward to the oasis of Siwa, to which the Italians apparently intend to advance immediately they have consolidated their coastal invasion. Indeed, their supporting, forces are already spreading southward. Two columns, keeping fairly close together, are leading the coastal advance. They are using medium tanks of 11 tons with a large number of light tanks, which, however, have proved especially vulnerable to the British fire. No major engagement has yet occurred, but air battles under the terrific desert heat and in sandstorms rage fiercely throughout the day. Hurricanes and Blenheims hurl themselves down on the tank columns, troops and transports, and the artillery pounds the invaders. Warships shell their path from the sea. The Italians also are using bombers and fighters freely to ■upporfr their land forces.

HARASSING OPERATES ITALIANS HEAVILY .BOMBED SUPPLY LINES STRAFED LONDON, September 17. The R.A.F. continued its strafing throughout the night as the Italians sought a few hours’ rest and •ndeavoured to rush up supply wagons to establish water, fuel, ammunition, and food dumps which are essential if the long lines of communication are not to become a liability, spelling failure for Marshal Graziani’s task. Retreat now with the advancing divisions locked ■ under the Libyan escarpment would be disastrous. Italian military circles claim that Solium is an important gain because it is the only natural harbour between Libya and Alexandria, which is the Italians’ main objective. They declare that Solium can afford shelter for the largest naval units in the world and *lao protection against the treacherous African winds because the port is surrounded by a horseshoe chain of hills. BRITISH STRATEGY EGYPT PROPER TO RE DEFENDED FUTURE COURSE OF ACTION LONDON, September 17. 'An official spokesman in Cairo said: •' We are not defending the long desert line from Solium, but we will certainly defend Egypt proper, namely, the delta and the Valley. Between these extremities lies our course of action, which is directed not to occupation or retention of this area, but to destruction of the enemy’s forces. Territorial readjustments will follow naturally when this is achieved, as it will be.” The Cairo correspondent of ‘ The Times ’ says Egypt’s army of 30,000 will unquestionably fight at the appropriate time. Already the native army is carrying out manoeuvres outside Cairo and in the desert. Long convoys of the Egyptian army’s camouflaged trucks, Bren gun carriers, and artillery are filing across the capital. Their equipment is superior to anything yet captured from the Italians. Volunteers and civil guards have taken over security jobs in Cairo and Alexandria. Regular Egyptian troops guard the. Nile bridges, and Egyptians man anti-air-craft guns and searchlights around the twb cities. Egyptians and Sudanese man frontier observation posts. Native anti-aircraft gunners at Alexandria have been signally successful in repulsing 75 Italian raids, which have killed 10 and wounded 40 civilians. The Italians have repeatedly missed their objective, which is the British Fleet. The Comnmnder-in-Chicf of the Egyptian army forecasting increasingly powerful forces, said: “ Wo can train 200,000 annually. A leading Arabic newspaper, ‘ Alahram,’ says: “Egyptians have full confidence in their leaders, and await patiently the outcome of their discussions, but they earnestly hope they will not have to wait too long.”

All the newspapers are most friendly towards Britain, and Italian propaganda articles have entirely disappeared. The Egyptian War Minister, Mahmud Fahmy Selkissy, has already begun discussions with senior British and Egyptian military officers regarding the role the Egyptian army will play in view of an invasion.