ITALIANS MAY ATTACK EGYPT

Southland Times, Issue 24232, 16 September 1940, Page 5

ITALIANS MAY ATTACK EGYPT

BRITISH FORCES PREPARED FOR ACTION (United Press Association—Telegraph Copyright) (Received September 15, 6.30 p.m.) CAIRO, September 14. A headquarters communique states that an Italian assault may come at any time, although there is no special reason to believe that an attack is imminent. The British forces in Egypt and the Sudan are fully prepared for developments. Some enemy movements towards the Libyan, frontier have been observed and similar movements are reported from Kassala, which it has always been expected the Italians might use as a base for penetration to the Sudan. However, the moving up of units in Libya may merely be designed to prevent our continued penetration of Italian territory—penetration which can be described as a running sore, constantly causing the enemy casualties in men and material.

The thickening up of the enemy’s de- . fences west of the Egyptian frontier is continuing. Beyond the usual raid on Mersa Matruh, air activity is slight. It is now confirmed that one enemy aircraft was brought down by anti-aircraft fire on the night of September 10. On other fronts there are no operations to report. KENYA PATROLS ACTIVE An official communique issued in Nairobi states that patrols are active in all parts of the front. One encountered superior enemy forces at Wai Garis on the frontier of Italian Somaliland and inflicted casualties. British casualties were of the slightest. The American Associated Press Cairo correspondent says that intermittent exchanges of artillery fire between the British and Italian outposts are reported to be increasing. Marshal Rodolfo Graziani, the Italian commander-in-chief, is reported to be rushing fresh troops from Libya to Bardia to compensate for the recent heavy British attacks there. Three Italian bombers made a forced landing at almost the same point on the Turkish coast this week. One sank. The Simla correspondent of The Times says that the measure of British command of the Red Sea is reflected in the official disclosure that, since the outbreak of the war, 71 .troopships and supply ships from Indian ports have used the Red Sea route to the Middle East without loss. VESSELS USE RED SEA Since the Italian occupation of Somaliland two large contingents have passed unmolested through the Red Sea. Vessels from British, Australian and South African ports are continually using the route in both directions. A Royal Air Force communique stated that the Boma seaplane base was attacked during a series of raids on eastern Libya. Bombs fell on an anchorage and. a large fire broke out on a jetty. Fires were visible for 30 miles after the bombing of a transport concentration near Didiomar. South African units raided Abyssinian aerodromes, starting fires. We also raided Somaliland and Eritrea, scoring a direct hit on a jetty at Assab. We also attacked aerodromes at Gura and Asmara and started fires at Massawa. * There is evidence that the Italians are strengthening their posts on the Libyan-Egyptian frontier, but they have not begun an offensive, states a British Official Wireless message from Rugby. In spite of the Italian numerical superiority, Italian tactics on the Libyan frontier have so far been purely defensive; all the operations have been on the Italian side of the frontier. The British forces have carried out a number of raids, and while in the northern sector these have gone only short distances into Italian territory—for instance, to Capuzzo—British mobile forces have penetrated more deeply in the southern sector.

These harassing tactics on the Italian right flank have, in the view of military observers here, proved a great nuisance

to the enemy and the Italian policy has been gradually to push forward dumps of munitions, food and water and to form posts to defend them. While one of the objectives is to reoccupy territory, the enemy’s tactics are also consistent with an ultimate policy of taking the offensive. ITALIANS OCCUPY SOLLUM It is announced in today’s Cairo communique that the Italians have occupied the empty village of Solium. It will be recalled that as long ago as August 3 the Commander-in-Chief in the Middle East (General Sir Archibald Wavell) announced that he had begun to withdraw armoured troops from the Solium area and that with the withdrawal a definite phase of action on the Libyan frontier was over—a phase which had lasted much longer than had been expected.

Since the Egyptian frontier force withdrew in the first week of the war with Italy to avoid involving Egypt in hostilities, the barracks on the escarpment above Solium have been held by not more than one company of British infantry. Against this the Italians had concentrated two complete divisions with a corps of troops and artillery of a third division.

Solium has no national or military importance of any kind. Its little harbour, provided with a rough breakwater, has not been used or even visited by any war vessel for many years. As a civilian centre it possesses few buildings and the normal population is under 1000. As a military , base it is ruled out by the fact that it has no water supply. In the view of military experts its possession will not even facilitate the advance of the Italians along the coast road leading to Mersa Matruh, for the escarpment, on the top of which the ■barracks stand, is virtually precipitous and the only routes down it to the coast suitable for motor traffic have been destroyed. It will take a long time to repair them.