ON ALL FRONTS IN AFRICA

Wairarapa Times-Age, 29 January 1941, Page 5

ON ALL FRONTS IN AFRICA

X Royal Air Force Ranging Far Afield ENEMY NOT YET DISLODGED FROM DERNA TROOPS CLOSING IN ON ERITREAN RAILWAY In land operations in Africa, a 8.8. C. broadcast states, the Italians continue to fall back on all fronts. A communique from British Headquarters in Cairo reports a continued concentration of British forces round Derna. In Eritrea opeiations are continuing satisfactorily and an additional 100 pusoners have bee captured, making over 1200 to date. East oi Metemma the situation is unchanged. Our troops have made further progress in Somaliland. It was learned in official quarters in London yesterday that although Derna has not yet been occupied, it does not appear to be as heavily defended as Bardia and Tobruk. It is provided with modern defences. In Eritrea, the British forces are closing in on Agordat, nearly 100 miles inside enemy territory. Most of the troops in that region are Indians from the Indian Army. They have advanced 100 miles in nine days and have attacked repeatedly with the bayonet. The significance of an official statement that our troops have again been active in Italian Somaliland is that until a few days ago the Italians were in Kenya. They have now been driven out at virtually all points and our troops are operating in enemy territory. The R.A.F. in Africa again carried out on Monday many attacks on Italian targets. A communique from Cairo gives details of the destruction of the Italian seaplane base at Bomba, east of Derna. On Sunday and Monday, the aerodrome at Appolonia, west of Derna, was bombed. A number of raids have been made also on enemy bases and communications in Abyssinia. The railway to Addis Ababa was bombed at a point 70 miles south-west of Jibuti. Bombs struck a road and fell near a railway bridge. Elsewhere dispersed Italian aircraft and supply depots were bombed. British fighters also carried out effective patrols. The British aircraft returned safely from all these operations. Another communique states that the graves of a few Italian airmen, the wreckage of a number of seaplanes and the twisted girders of buildings are all that remain of the enemy seaplane base at Bomba, which used to be a constant menace to British shipping. On the slipway, hardly a yard of ground is not pitted by bomb craters.