FALL OF BENGHAZI

Wairarapa Times-Age, 8 February 1941, Page 6

FALL OF BENGHAZI

CAIRO OFFICIAL REPORT ITALIAN OUTMANOEUVRED EVERYWHERE. PROGRESS ON OTHER AFRICAN FRONTS. (British Official Wireless. > • Received This Dav 11.15 a.mJ RUGBY. February 7. A Cairo General Headquarters communique issued this afternoon states: "Libya—Benghazi surrendered yesterday. By brilliant operations. British armoured forces moving south of Jebel El Akdar established themselves astride the Italian lines of communications leading southwards from Benghazi. Al the same time, Australian troops advancing from Derna gave the retreating enemy forces no respite. Demoralised and outmanoeuvred everywhere, the Italians were unable to put into effect their plans for the defence of Benghazi. "Eritrea—The situation about Keren is developing satisfactorily. The total number of prisoners taken since our troops entered Eritrea already exceeds 3.500, with many more coming in. The area of operations vast of the line Agordat-Barentu, is littered with Italian war materials, either destroyed by our action or jettisoned by the enemy. “In Abyssinia our advance along the Gondar road is progressing. Prisoners have also been taken in this sector. "In Italian Somaliland along the whole front our patrols are successfully enlarging the area of their penetration.”