TANKS & GUNS

Wairarapa Times-Age, 10 January 1941, Page 5

TANKS & GUNS

RUMBLING TOWARDS TOBRUK STRONGHOLD EFFECTIVELY ENCIRCLED. ROME RADIO NOT OPTIMISTIC. (By Telegraph—Press Association—Copyriuhti LONDON, January 9. Within'only four days of the fall of Bardia the Italian's seaport base of Tobruk, 100 miles from the Egyptian frontier, is directly menaced by the British forces, which are investing the area and include units across the path of any retreat by the garrison or of Italian reinforcements.

All correspondents mention the present inactivity of the defenders. No Italian troop movements have been observed either to or from Tobruk.

Rome radio is not very optimistic about the fate of Tobruk, where, it will be recalled Marshall Balbo crashed. ‘'Tobruk, while we are speaking, is being rapidly approached by the vanguard of the powerful mechanised forces of the enemy and it is preparing to withstand an attack " the Italian commentator said, and he added. "With what result?" He did not attempt io answer the question. Ho continued that the war in North Africa had for the moment entered upon a phase of resistance and sacrifice and would remain so till the Italians had wrested the initiative and the situation could be changed, "as we hope will occur.” Tanks and big guns continue in a rumbling and unending stream acr ••• the Western Desert toward Tobruk