BATTLE CONTINUES

Wairarapa Times-Age, 10 December 1940, Page 6

BATTLE CONTINUES

IN EGYPTIAN WESTERN DESERT SOME EARLY REPORTS EXAGGERATED BUT OVER A THOUSAND PRISONERS TAKEN. OPERATIONS EXTENDING SATISFACTORILY. Operations on the largest scale of any yet launched in Africa were begun at dawn on Monday by British Imperial Forces in the Western Desert, the 8.8. C. reports. ■The Royal Air Force and ißoyal Navy also participated in the action and over a thousand prisoners have already been taken. Five hundred were captured south of Sidi Barrani and the others on a range of hills inland. The R.A.F. heavily damaged motorised transport and enemy personnel by bombs and mach-ine-gun fire. The new operations appear to be directed against the Italians holding positions around Sidi Barrani, Italy’s advance base in the Western Desert, mainly against the right flank, 20 or 30 njiles from the coast. The first objective, an Italian armoured camp just south of Sidi Barrani, was captured within an hour.

The first move took place on Saturday night, when mechanised units and infantry moved forward to positions prepared with great secrecy. Throughout Sunday the British forces waited and the Italian airmen failed to spot them. On Sunday night they moved forward to their fighting positions. Fighting is still going on and the results are satisfactory.