ITALIANS’ PROGRESS

Manawatu Standard, Volume LX, Issue 250, 19 September 1940, Page 9

ITALIANS’ PROGRESS

HUGGING COASTLINE. NO OPPOSITION YET. (United Press Association —Copyright.) (Rec 11 a.m.) LONDON, Sept. 18 Tlie British United Press Cairo correspondent says the Italians moving up, the coastline, are reported to have reached the Oasis of Sidi Omar, 26 miles from Solium. Two columns reaching Sidi Barrani are reported to have comprised light tanks of which military experts do not 'have a high opinion. The troops comprised metropolitan ion.es out no natives. They were strongly supported by artillery mounted on trucks. The Italian water supply is apparently efficient, enabling a rapid advance in spite of wells in the vicinity having been rendered useless. The newspaper Almisri says the Western Egyptian Desert is destined to be the burial ground of Fascism. The Italians must cross 400 miles before reaching the Nile. The journal Egypt says the Italian advance cannot be described as an attack, since no opposition has yet been offered. The latest communique issued to-day from General Headquarters at Cairo states: During yesterday and last night the enemy lias been engaged in consolidating positions in and around Sidi Barrani, where they 'have been heavily and successfully bombed. On the other front there is nothing to report. ITALIAN STORY. A Rome communique says: Italian and native troops, continuing their victorious advance, have occupied Sidi Barrani and are organising new batse communications. Tile native troops have again shown their high quality and r.osolute loyalty to Italy. ‘We have smashed at all points stubborn enemy resistance backed by armoured units. The air force participated in a battle, bombing and machine gunning file enemy. We shot down five Glosters in flames and probably destroyed a sixth. Four Italian planes have not returned.

“The enemy at night raided Benghazi (one of the chief ports of Libya), sinking a barge and a torpedo-boat, and causing a few fires. They slightly damaged a vessel at Derna (another port)". Dive-bombers, escorted by fighters, bombed Malta, causing fires and heavy damage. They destroyed at least three grounded planes and shot down two planes which, attempted to attack them. Bombers raided Boma, damaging a small fort and setting fire to an encampment. An Italian reconnaissance plane seriously damaged a British fighter which attacked it over Aden. Planes destroyed one grounded enemy plane at Sarafsied, north-west-wards of Gallabat. The enemy raided Assab, Massawa, and Diredawa, where an hotel was slightly damaged. Antiaircraft defences shot down an enemy plane. “A Blenheim landed by mistake at the Italian airport at Pantellana (off Sicily) and the three members of the crew were taken prisoner. The survivors of a 5800-ton British, vessel which an Italian submarine sank in the Atlantic set out for Lisbon.”