ADVANCE AT A BOUND

Wairarapa Times-Age, 11 December 1940, Page 5

ADVANCE AT A BOUND

OVER 75 MILES OF DESERT Mr Churchill Describes Preliminary Success NAVY AND AIR FORCE CO-OPERATING CLOSELY FREE FRENCH FORCES ALSO ENGAGED A COMMUNIQUE ISSUED AT GENERAL HEADQUARTERS IN CAIRO AND TRANSMITTED BY THE 8.8. C. STATES THAT IN THE OPERATIONS IN THE WESTERN DESERT THE NUMBER OF PRISONERS SO FAR CAPTURED EXCEEDS 4,000. A NUMBER OF MEDIUM TANKS HAVE ALSO BEEN TAKEN AND THE OPERATIONS ARE CONTINUING SUCCESSFULLY. IN A STATEMENT IN THE HOUSE OF COMMONS, THE PRIME MINISTER, MR WINSTON CHURCHILL, STATED THAT THE BRITISH FORCES HAD REACHED THE NORTH AFRICAN COAST BETWEEN SIDI BARRANI, THE MOST ADVANCED POINT REACHED BY THE ITALIANS IN THE EGYPTIAN COASTAL ZONE, AND BUQBUQ, TWENTY MILES TO THE WEST. THE FORCES TAKING PART IN THE OPERATIONS INCLUDED NOT ONLY TROOPS FROM BRITAIN AND VARIOUS PARTS OF THE EMPIRE, BUT UNITS OF THE FREE FRENCH FORCES. Mr Churchill said it would be realised that extensive preparations had been needed for an advance, almost at a bound, over 75 miles of desert. The operations, he added, would have been begun earlier if it had not been necessary to transfer a considerable part of the Air Force in Egypt to assist Greece. Now, however, sufficient reinforcements of men and material had been sent, not only to give a feeling of security, but to make it possible to take the offensive. Mr Churchill described the operations in which the British forces advanced 75 miles across the desert to Sidi Barrani. Five hundred prisoners were taken in a position south of that place. The Italian general in command was killed and his second-in-command captured. Finally, our forces got through to the coast west of Sidi Barrani. The British Mediterranean Fleet and the Royal Air Force co-operated closely with the Army. Sidi Barrani and other enemy positions were bombarded by the warships and powerful air attacks were made on the enemy forces and positions in the rear. Mr Churchill said it was too soon to indicate the scope or result of the considerable operations in progress, but the pre- ' liminary stage had at any rate been successful. An Air Ministry communique dealing with the offensive in the Western Desert states that 22 enemy aircraft were shot down. The destraction of 18 of these is confirmed and that of four is unconfirmed. All enemy aerodromes from Sidi Barrani westwards were attacked and heavily damaged. Heavy losses were inflicted on the enemy forces in machine-gun and other attacks. From these extensive operations, three'British aircraft failed to return to their base. ACCORDING TO A REUTER REPORT FROM CAIRO, BRITISH TROOPS ARE SMASHING THROUGH THE ITALIAN LINES. BRITISH ARMOURED UNITS ARE REPORTED TO HAVE CUT OFF PORTION OF TWO ITALIAN DIVISIONS. LESS THAN 36 HOURS AFTER THE SURPRISE ATTACK BEGAN, BRITISH FORCES HAD REACHED THE CO'AST BETWEEN SIDI BARRANI AND BUQBUQ, FORMING A WEDGE BETWEEN THE ITALIAN FORCES HOLDING SIDI BARRANI AND DIVISIONS SUPPORTING THEM FURTHER WEST.