ITALIANS FORCED TO EVACUATE BARENTU

Wairarapa Times-Age, 4 February 1941, Page 5

ITALIANS FORCED TO EVACUATE BARENTU

Good Progress on Al! African Fronts ROYAL AIR FORCE ACTIVE IN LIBYA AND ELSEWHERE DAMAGE DONE AND CASUALTIES CAUSED IN MANY AREAS Further important progress and gains by British Imperial forces on the African fronts were reported in a B.E.C. broadcast this morning. On Sunday, the Italians evacuated the town of Barentu, where they had been expected to make their first determined attempt at resistance in Eritrea, and the place was occupied by British troops. The Italian retreat towards the Red Sea coast is being followed up and in North-West Abyssinia British troops are pursuing the enemy towards Gondar. In much of East Africa the British troops are faced by difficult country which offers the enemy opportunities for defence, but in their retreat the Italians have been compelled to leave much essential war material behind them. After British mechanised troops had cut a road leading from Barentu, the Italians were faced by the alternatives of retreating or fighting. They chose the former. The R.A.F. closely co-operated with the British forces and low diving attacks were made on the fort and building. At least 50 transport vehicles were smashed in one attack. In Southern Abyssinia, according to a communique from Nairobi, South African forces have occupied two Italian posts ten miles inside the Abyssinian border. The Italians lost two officers and 43 natives killed and three officers and 50 natives taken prisoners. The British casualties were very slight. Fighter and bomber aircraft arc active in Libya, attacking reads between Derna and Benghazi. At a point 25 miles southwest of Apollonia troops and transport were bombed and machine gunned. Thirteen lorries were destroyed and heavy casualties were inflicted on the troops. Other planes attacked motorised transport near Apollonia and four Italian planes were destroyed. Troops and transport were also machinegunned. At a place ten miles south-west of Apollonia, an Italian fighter was shot down. The South African Air Force has been active in East Africa, attacking enemy motor transport and other targets. At Agordat an enemy bomber was shot down in flames by our fighters. The British planes engaged in all these operations returned safely, with one exception.

On the coast of Libya, a ship engaged in evacuating Italian prisoners was attacked by bombing planes, believed to be German, and it is stated that there were many casualties.