GREAT ACHIEVEMENT

Wairarapa Times-Age, 10 February 1941, Page 5

GREAT ACHIEVEMENT

PROVINCE TAKEN IN LESS THAN TWO MONTHS BRITISH CASUALTIES LESS THAN 2000. POSSIBILITY OF LANDING IN TRIPOLI. LONDON. February 8. The Union Jack flies over practically all Cyrenaica, which Mussolini declared four years would always remain Italian. The tiniest villages and the strongest outposts have been forced to bow under the irresistible British advance, inis has all been ’ achieved in two months at a probable cost of less than 2000 casualties. The fall of Benghazi provides a dazzling climax to a campaign which is an example of co-operation by the three services and daring strategy unparalleled in warfare. Each unit played its part, the R.AF.' clearing the way for tanks and tanks clearing the war for infantry, while the Navy reduced garrison after garrison to silence and impotence. Two lines of strategy are now apparently open to General Wavell. lie can either follow the motor road along the coast about COO miles to Tripoli ; through sands.‘barren wastes, and oc- i casional settlements, or land an invad- i ing force eastward of Tripoli which t could serve the dual purpose of storm- - ing the town and cutting off the I tai- / ians who are retreating from the east, t The capture of Benghazi cuts the Ital- | lan supply lines to Abyssinia, for i / which it was an air junction. ! ? TANKS AND AIR FORCE.

When the Cyrcnaican campaign is reviewed the astonishing role played by the tanks becomes clear. They charged forward hundreds of miles, taking one point artcr another completely by surprise. The surprise factor was particularly effective on the southern Mekili prong which stabbed the Italian communications southward of Benghazi, and. with the northern line, encircled the town. The capture of Benghazi was a master stroke of strategy comparable to Sidi Rarrani. Tito Italians expected the attack from the coastal road through very difficult country, but. instead, the tanks swept across a barren and waterless desert from Mekili along tracks used only by an occasional caravan, thus attacking Benghazi from the east long before the Italians expected the onslaught The aeronautical c< rrcsj ndeni f "The Times" says *ha' the HA F again dominated the Regia .-‘vnmautira to such an extent that > tr p. almost completely free from mr ..(thick a-; they advanced to Benghazi Th:-: suggests tha‘ th- Italians dr<?id--<| mutime ago that Benghazi held, and thcref >rc • ■ - acrifme more mrcrcaft for a !o t cau ■■ Our fighters, operating over the a hours before the troop.; marched m found not a single enemy maehim-