EIGHT DIVISIONS

Wairarapa Times-Age, 16 December 1940, Page 5

EIGHT DIVISIONS

ENEMY’S PROBABLE LOSS VAIN EFFORTS BY BLACK SHIRTS. BRITISH ON THE OUTSKIRTS OF SOLLUM.

(By Telegraph—Press Association—Copyright) LONDON December 14. A British United Press message from Cairo states that Marshal Graziana has probably lost eight divisions—mere than 100,000 men. Desperate fighting is reported between the British advanced units and the Black Shirts, who are striving to consolidate their positions and vainly attempting to counter-attack. An official estimate of the Italian prisoners taken is 30,000. Reports reaching Cairo indicate that the British are on the outskirts of Solium, which is General Wavell’s immediate objective. Ah official Cairo communique puts the prisoners in British hands at more than 26,000, with guns, tanks and equipment of all kinds. The communique adds that the British advanced forces continue to press back the enemy who are endeavouring to stem the tide of. their rout on and about the Libyan frontier.

“The clearance of the vast battlefield continues," it is stated, “and the number of prisoners is steadily mounting. Our harassing activities on the Sudan frontier continue unabated.”

MESSAGE FROM KING ALL RANKS CONGRATULATED. (British Official Wireless.) RUGBY December 14. The King sent the following message to General Wavell: — “Please convey to all ranks in the force under your command my heartfelt congratulations on the victory in the Western Desert. The skill in planning the complicated operation —for which the greatest credit is due to yourself and the commanders and stall' of all three services—was equalled by the efficiency and dash of the troops carrying it out. The whole Empire can be sure that the contingents from the Dominions and India as well as those of our Free French Allies played a distinguished part in this supremely successful encounter with an enemy vastly superior in numbers.”

‘■OUR CHANCE HAS COME” SIR A. WAVELL’S BATTLE ORDER. SHOWING THE ITALIANS THEIR MISTAKE. LONDON December 14. General Wavell in a special order of the day issued to the troops on the eve* of the British offensive said: “In everything but numbers we are superior to the enemy. The results of the fighting will be one of the decisive events of the war. The signal of a crushing defeat of the Italian forces will have an incalculable effect not only on the whole position in the Middle East and not only on the military situation everywhere, but on the future of freedom nad civilisation throughout the world. It may shorten the war by many months. ’ • “The Italians entered the war treacherously and without reason because they expected a cheap and easy victory. Let us show them their mistake by inflicting on them a stern and costly defeat. We have waited long in the Middle East. Our chance has come. Let us strike hard.”

“GRAVEST HOUR” IN ITALIAN HISTORY. I ROME RADIO STATEMENTS. (By Telegraph—Press Association—Copyright) LONDON, December 14. While accusing British propaganda of claiming great victories quite different from the truth, the Rome radio said Britain had concentrated all her forces in that part of the world under the leadership of one of her ablest men, General Wavell. Italians were aware that they were living in the gravest hour of their history, but were convinced of a victorious end to the war. The radio later described the defeat in North Africa as merely a desert encounter. Marshal Graziani, it said, was awaiting the British in Libya with two great armies and with fortified lines superior to the British. . ' The radio hotly refuted a report that Italy was negotiating for an armistice and also reports of revolts in Italian cities. An Italian communique stated that frontier fighting continued in the Western Desert all yesterday. The Italian troops, it added, counter-at-tacked in the afternoon and relieved the enemy pressure.

SURPRISE ATTACK ITALIAN COLONEL’S TRIBUTE. ACTION BRILLIANTLY CONCEIVED. i LONDON, December 13. The amazing advance of the Imperial Army of the Nile resulted from a combination of sheer courage and ingenious tactics. The most striking tribute to the British advance comes from an Italian, Colonel Giusfreda, who was General Maletti’s chief of staff. (General Maletti was killed in action on Monday.) Colonel Giusfreda, who was taken prisoner, told British officers: — “The action was brilliantly conceived and even more brilliantly ex-' ecuted. We were taken completely by surprise.” Colonel Giusfreda said that the action began at Nib Eiwa, when the British opened fire at dawn on December 9. The Italian general sent out two patrols, which heard the British tanks approaching. Nib Eiwa soon fell, after which the British forces re-formed and attacked a group of forts lying between Nib Eiwa and Sidi Barrani. These were captured by the evening, and thereafter the way to Sidi Barrani lay open to the British.

BRITISH COMMANDER ■ GENERAL O’CONNOR’S FINE RECORD. DECORATED BY ITALIANS IN 1918. (British Official Wireless.) RUGBY, December 14. The victorious British troops in the Western Desert are commanded by a man who in 1918 the Italian Government delighted to honour. He is Major-General Richard Nugent O’Connor - and in that year was commanding a battalion of the famous London regiment of volunteers, The Honourable Artillery Company. Transferred from France with the Seventh Division for the final defeat of the Austrians, Major-General O'Connor took part in the capture of the island of Lapadopoli. For his share in the victory he was not only mentioned by name in dispatches but was awarded the Silver Medal for Valour by the Italians. Major-General O'Connor was born in 1889 and served in the European War, gaining the D.S.O. and M.C. In 1932-33 he was General Sial! Officer, Second Grade, at the War Office, and in 1935 he took a course at the Imperial Defence College. In 1936-38 he commanded the Peshawar Brigade in India and in 1938 was given command of the 7th Division. He was later appointed Military Governor of Jerusalem when the High Commissioner of Palestine, Sir Harold Mac Michael, authorised the appointment of military governors to take over from the district commissioners. He conducted the operations against Arab rebels in the Old City.