THRUSTS INTO ITALY’S AFRICAN EMPIRE

Wairarapa Times-Age, 7 February 1941, Page 5

THRUSTS INTO ITALY’S AFRICAN EMPIRE

Imperial Forces Making Headway on All Fronts

DRIVE ON BENGHAZI PROCEEDING SATISFACTORILY

SUCCESSFUL LAND AND AIR OPERATIONS The latest news from Cairo shows, a 8.8. C. broadcast states, that on all fronts in Africa the Imperial forces are rapidly thrusting deeper and deeper into Italian territory, close on the heels of the retreating enemy. A communique issued from General Headquarters in Cairo states that in Libya the advance towards Benghazi is proceeding satisfactorily. In Eritrea the Imperial forces are closing in on strongly held Italian positions at Keren. Further south the Italians are being pressed vigorously in their retreat to a town twenty miles east of Barentu. So far 1,500 prisoners, mostly Italians, have been taken in Eritrea, together with great quantities of war material of various kinds. British casualties have been light. In Abyssinia, good progress is being made along the Gondar road, in spite of numerous mines left by the enemy. In Italian Somaliland our penetration across the enemy frontiers is daily becoming deeper. The enemy’s casualties have been disproportionately heavy. Those of the Imperial forces have been negligible.

The Royal Air Force has continued its active co-operation on all fronts. Benina aerodrome, near Benghazi, and Berka aerodrome, were attacked on Wednesday night. At Benina two hangars were destroyed and a large fire, probably oil, was started. Damage was done also to other buildings and to motor vehicles.

At Berka barracks and motor transport were bombed and the aerodrome was both bombed and machine-gunned. Barce railway station was also bombed.

Full support was given to the troops on various fronts. Two enemy fighters were encountered and one was shot down. In Abyssinia, bombs were dropped on motor transport and considerable damage was done to buildings at Tesse, From all these operations all our aircraft returned safely.

A communique issued from the East African Headquarters of the Royal Air Force states that on February 4, South African Air Force planes bombed enemy motor transport in Italian Somaliland. Other squadrons carried out numerous reconnaissances.

A Nairobi communique repoils the capture by African patrols of an Italian post in Somaliland held by two companies. The enemy suffered some casualties. Those of the Africans were negligible.