WAR IN LIBYA
BOMBARDMENT OF BARDIA CONTINUES LITTLE REPLY BY DEFENDERS. TOBRUK RAIDED HEAVILY BY R.A.F. While the British land forces in Libya are concentrating against the beleaguered Italian garrison of Bardia. the 8.8. C. states, the Royal Air Force is again attacking I obrnk, sixty miles further west. In a heavy raid on Thursday, numerous fires were started. In an attack by British fighters on a large formation of enemy bombers escorted by fighters, one Italian bomber and one fighter were shot down. Four other Italian bombers were damaged and may not have got back to their base. In an enemy raid on Solium only slight damage was done. A communique issued from General Headquarters in Cairo states that British artillery has been active against Bardia. with very little response from the Italian guns. In Italy, the collapse of the defence of Bardia now seems to be accepted as inevitable. Signor Ansaldo has declared in a Turin paper that Bardia is in no sense a bastion of the Italian defence of Libya. He ignores recent Italian broadcasts which have emphasised the importance of Bardia.
OFFICIAL REPORTS . LAND AND AIR OPERATIONS. LATEST COUNT OF PRISONERS. (British Official Wireless.) RUGBY, December 28. A communique from the British headquarters in Cairo states: “The concentration of our forces investing Bardia is proceeding smoothly, while our artillery continues to harass the Italian garrison. Operations by our mobile detachments to clear the country to the westward are proceeding. “The prisoners counted to date since the beginning of the operations in the Western Desert now number 38,114, of which 24,845 are Italian officers and other ranks. Four additional guns have been captured south of Bardia. “On the frontier of the Sudan and Kenya our patrols have again been active.” A Royal Air Force communique states: “There was litle activity over the Western Desert yesterday. A number of reconnaissances were made and our fighters maintained active offensive patrols without, however, engaging any enemy aircraft. “In Italian East Africa, Assab was raided by our bombers, their bombs straddling military stores and a large transport yard. At Kassala a Rhodesian squadron carried out bombing and machine-gun attacks on the enemy positions. Bombs fell in the target area, but the full extent of the damage and casualties is not known. Near Gedaref fighters of a South African squadron intercepted two CR42’s, one of which was shot down in flames. “All our aircraft returned safely,”
BRITISH TROOPS REINFORCEMENTS POURING WESTWARD. ITALIAN VEHICLES FOUND USEFUL. LONDON, December 28. Apparently unending lines of lorries are still pouring men and materials westward from the . Libyan frontier for reinforecement of General Wavell’s forces investing Bardia. A large proportion of these lorries were captured from the Italians and the British drivers declare that the vehicles are excellent. An Italian prisoner stated that' the commander at Bardia was preparing to evacuate when an urgent order was received direct from Signor Mussolini to defend the town at all costs. The Cairo correspondent of the Associated Press says Marshal Graziani has sent thousands of men to throw up additional fortifications at Tobruk, and the defence of Bardia is designed to enable the completion of the work.
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Wairarapa Times-Age, 30 December 1940, Page 5
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527WAR IN LIBYA Wairarapa Times-Age, 30 December 1940, Page 5
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