ENEMY DEMORALISED

Wairarapa Times-Age, 8 February 1941, Page 5

ENEMY DEMORALISED

DEFENSIVE PLANS BROKEN UP Speed and Power of Imperial Thrust ALL FORCES COLLABORATE SPLENDIDLY CAPTURED TOWN A VALUABLE BASE THE CAPTURE OF BENGHAZI. THE CAPITAL OF CYRENAICA. THE LAST GREAT ITALIAN BASE IN EASTERN LIBYA, IS REPORTED IN A 8.8. C. BROADCAST. THE ANNOUNCEMENT OF THIS FURTHER GREAT SUCCESS OF THE IMPERIAL FORCES. WHICH MEANS THAT THE WHOLE OF CYRENAICA IS NOW VIRTUALLY IN BRITISH HANDS. WAS MADE IN LONDON EARLY YESTERDAY. A communique from the British Official Headquarters in Cairo states that British armoured forces in a brilliant advance, placed themselves astride the Italian communications southward of Benghazi. At the same time, the enemy was given no respite by the Australian troops which had advanced from Derna. Demoralised and outmanoeuvred, the enemy was unable to form and carry out plans for the defence of Benghazi The Imperial forces as usual had the full co-operation of the Royal Air Force. Bombers carried out raids on Benghazi and other enemy bases on Wednesday night. Several tons of bombs were dropped and considerable damage was done, including the destruction of enemy aircraft on the ground. A SPECIAL MESSAGE FROM REUTER’S CORRESPONDENT STATES THAT THE ITALIANS HAD BEEN EXPECTING THE BRITISH TO ATTACK BENGHAZI ALONG THE COASTAL ROAD THROUGH MOST DIFFICULT COUNTRY. INSTEAD. THE BRITISH ARMOURED FORCES TRAVERSED THE 130 MILES OF DESERT SEPARATING THEM FROM BENGHAZI AND THUS ATTACKED THAT PLACE FROM AN UNEXPECTED QUARTER. APPEARING OUT OF THE DESERT LONG BEFORE THE ITALIANS HAD ANTICIPATED THEIR ARRIVAL. A COMPLETE SCHEME FOR THE BRITISH ADMINISTRATION OF THE OCCUPIED TERRITORY IS ALREADY IN EXSTENCE. Enthusiasm has been aroused everywhere by the capture of Benghazi, and in Cairo it is being said that “Wavell is a wizard.” With Benghazi captured, practically the whole of Cyrenaica is in British hands, and the curtain has finally fallen on Mussolini in his ambitious role of Caesar in Africa. Benghazi has a population of 65,000. It was until recently Marshal Graziani's headquarters. In recent years the Italians have spent half a million in improving the harbour, and naval circles in London welcome the prospect of using the base. Benghazi is defended by coastal batteries and has an excellent seaplane base, There are good airfields in the district. Any Italian counterattack on Benghazi would have to be based on Tripoli 500 miles to the westward, with insupportably long lines of communication. The capture of Benghazi is ascribed to the combined power of land, sea and air forces working in the closest collaboration, as at Sidi Barrani, Solium, Bardia and Tobruk. Military history has been made by the Imperial forces in their advance of 60 miles in two days. In one week they have advanced 160 miles in extremely difficult conditions. No details are given yet of the number of prisoners taken at Bonghazi, but it is expected that the total of over 100,000 prisoners captured in Libya to date will be increased considerably. It is recalled that on December 13, the Nazi newspaper “Frankfurter Zeitung” said that the British success could not be called decisive and that before it could be called decisive it would have to be carried to Benghazi.