"ANY TIME"

Taranaki Daily News, 16 September 1940, Page 8

"ANY TIME"

By Telegraph.—Press Assn.—Copyright.

British Official Wireless.

ITALIAN ATTACK NO REAL SIGN SO FAR BRITISH TROOPS READY

Rec. 5.5 p.m. London, Sept. 14. "An Italian assault may come at any time although there is no special reason to believe an attack is imminent," says a Cairo eommunique. "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 was always expected the Italians might use as a base for an extension of penetration to the Sudan. However, the moving up of units in Libya may merely be designed to prevent continued penetration by the British of Italian territory — penetration which can be described as a running sore constantly causing the enemy casualties in men and material." Strengthening of Posts. There is evidence that the Italians are strengthening posts on the LibyanEgyptian frontier but they have not commenced an offensive. In spite of Italian numerical superiority Italian tactics on the Libyan frontier so far have been purely defensive. All operations have been on the Italian side of the frontier. | British forces have made a number of raids and while in the northern sector these have gone only a short distance into Italian territory, for instance to Fort 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 it may be that one of the objectives is to reoccupy territory the enemv's tactics are also consistent with the ultimate policy of taking the offensive. It was announced at Cairo to-day that the Italians had occupied the empty village of Sollum. It will be recalled that as long ago as August 3 the commander-in-chief in the Middle East announced that he had begun to withdraw armoured troops from the E1 Sollum 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 anticipated. Held by One Company. Since the Egyptian frontier force withdrew in the first week of the war with Italy to avoid involving Egypt in hostilities barracks on the escarpment above E1 Sollum have been held by not more than one company of British infantry. Against this the Italians had concentrated two complete divisions with corps of troops and the artillery of a third division. E1 Sollum 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 because it has no water supply. In the view of military experts its possession will not even facilitate the advance of Italians along the coast road leading to Mersa Matruh, for the escarpment on the t-op 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. Artillery Exchanges. ;Tlie Cairo correspondent of the Associated Press of America says that intermittent exchanges of artillery fire between British, and Italian outposts are reported to be increasing. Marshal Graziani, commander of the Italian forces in Libya, is reported to be rushing fresh troops from Libya to Bardia to compensate for the recent heavy British attacks there. An official eommunique issued at Nairobi states: "Patrols are active on all parts of the front. One encountered superior enemy forces at Wai Garis, on the frontier of Italian Somaliland, and inflicted casualties. Our casualties were of the slightest."