BURNING TRANSPORT

Wairarapa Times-Age, 11 December 1940, Page 6

BURNING TRANSPORT

SEEN ON ROADS BEHIND ITALIANS IN WESTERN DESERT REGION. TROOP MOVEMENTS DISLOCATED. (British Official Wireless.) (Received This Day, 10.55 a.m.) RUGBY, December 10. A R.A.F. communique issued in Cairo states that pilots who made reconnaissance flights reported large fires west of Buqbuq and in other areas. Motor transport burning on the roads was causing dislocation of enemy troop movements. DISCREET SILENCE OBSERVED BY ITALIANS. (Received This Day, 10.20 a.m.) LONDON. December 10. An Italian communique does not mention the British advance in the Western Desert. It says: “The Italians repulsed a British contingent on the Sudan-Eritrea frontier and inflicted severe losses. “Enemy air attacks on Assab and the Jibuti Railway caused little damage.’’

FORMIDABLE WEDGE DRIVEN THROUGH ITALIAN LINES. ATTACK ON ENEMY TRIANGLE. (Received This Day, 1.20 p.m.) LONDON, December 10. Smashing through the Italian lines in the Western Desert, British armoured units by tonight are reported to have cut off part of two Italian divisions at Sidi Barrani, driving a formidable wedge between them and the troops further west, and to have engulfed several smaller camps. The Italians are reported to be resisting strongly at some points, but the British appear to be retaining the initiative. Bright moonlight helped the British to bring up supplies and strengthen their positions at night. Fighting continued throughout the day along a thirty-mile front forming the right flank of the Italians occupying Sidi Barrani. The prisoners captured are reported to exceed 4,000. The area occupied by the enemy forms an equilateral triangle, of which the points are Sidi Barrani, Maktila and Nibeiwa, fifteen files south from Sidi Barrani. While the Royal Navy bombarded one side of the triangle, armoured units, supported by infantry. attacked the other two sides.