ABYSSINIAN PATRIOT FORCES

Wairarapa Times-Age, 20 February 1941, Page 5

ABYSSINIAN PATRIOT FORCES

More Italian Posts Captured in Lake Tana Region AIR AND OTHER OPERATIONS IN EAST AFRICA FURTHER BOMBING OF DODECANESE ISLANDS The Abyssinian patriots are pushing’ deeper and deeper into the heart of their country, a 8.8. C. broadcast states. They have now reached a point 150 miles north-west of Addis Ababa. Following- on their capture of Angela, in the Gojjam region, they have captured another two Italian posts, taking many prisoners. One is 50 miles south of Lake Tana and the other is further north. British forces advancing north of Lake Tana are half-way along the road from G-allabat to Gondar. These operations have been undertaken to clear the Italians out of all the area around Lake Tana. Britain has an interest in this lake, which is the source of the Blue Nile. A correspondent giving further details of the capture of Angela states that it had strong defences, including a concrete wall and machine-gun posts. The garrison of 9,000 men was equipped with armoured cars, but under the attack of the patriot forces, which were assisted by British planes, the Italians defended the place for only four days. A communique from British General Headquarters in Cairo states that operations in Italian Somaliland on the line of the Juba. River are progressing. On other African fronts there is no change in the situation.

An R.A.F. Middle East communique reports further attacks on the Dodecanese Islands and on the Italians on the various fronts in Africa. Objectives in the Dodecanese Islands were bombed effectively on Sunday and Monday nights. In East Africa the South African Air Force destroyed two Italian aircraft and damaged other machines on the ground. South African aircraft have also been very active over Italian Somaliland during the last few days. Italian positions on the Juba River were dive-bombed by waves of South African planes and the enemy positions in Southern Abyssinia were also bombed.

During- enemy raids on Benghazi on Monday and Tuesday, one enemy aircraft was shot down by anti-aircraft fire and others were damaged.

From the whole of these operations all the British planes returned safely with the exception of one bomber. It is considered to be only a question of time before the Italian force at the Jarabub Oasis, in Southern Libya, will be forced to surrender since its communications have been cut and it is completely isolated.