ITALIAN RETREAT

Wairarapa Times-Age, 12 March 1941, Page 5

ITALIAN RETREAT

INTO MOUNTAIN FASTNESSES OF ABYSSINIA STRONG RESISTANCE CONTINUES AT KEREN. DIFFICULT GORGE OUTFLANKED BY BRITISH FORCES. (By Telegraph—Press Association—Copyright! CAIRO. March 10. The next fortnight, it is believed, will show what further progress the British are able to make in Italian East Africa before the rains terminate large-scale military activity till the autumn. The rains have already begun in the extreme south of Abyssinia but unless they start unreasonably early elsewhere they will not delay the British forces for several weeks. Air reconnaissance shows that the Italians are withdrawing into the mountain fastnesses of the western half of Abyssinia. The two main gateways to the mountains are on the eastern side at Jigjiga and Allata. Meanwhile, the Italian forces round Keren are making the strongest resistance the Italians have yet offered on any front. The Allied column, advancing southward from Kubkub. is reported to be four miles from Keren. The Italians regarded the gorge of the River Anseba, through which the road from Kubkub runs, as a first-class natural obstacle, for which reason they mined and blocked it at a dozen places, and they also regarded the heights on either side of the gorge as impassable and omitted to guard them. The Allied forces clambered up the rocky slopes, rendered the Italian positions on the road untenable, and forced their way almost to the mouth of the gorge, which debouches into open country before Keren. Apart from the defence of Keren, the most creditable Italian feat in the East African campaign is the skilfullyconducted retreat in western Abyssinia to Gondar, but now the Italians, under persistent patriot harrying, are beginning to draw in their forces from the outposts in the immediate vicinity of Gondar. Patriots who are under the leadership of a member of the British military mission, who for months played a lone hand in this region, have now occupied a post barely 15 miles to the north of Gondar. ADVANCE CONTINUES FURTHER POSITIONS CAPTURED BRITISH AND ABYSSINIAN FORCES. (British Official Wireless.) (Received This Day, 11 a.m.) RUGBY. March 11. A Cairo communique states: “There is nothing of importance to report from Libya and Eritrea. “In Abyssinia the Imperial forces have captured the Afodu escarpment and are now advancing towards Asosa. In their retreat the enemy abandoned four guns, with quantities of other equipment, including an armoured car. Further East patriot forces have captured the town of Dambacha and are continuing their pursuit of an Italian column retreating towards Debra Marcos. In Italian Somaliland our advance into Abyssinia is developing satisfactorily and many hundreds of prisoners have been taken, including a brigade commander, a resident commissioner and their staffs. HEAVY RAID ON HARRAR BARRACKS & OTHER BUILDINGS HIT ACTIVE SUPPORT TO TROOPS NEAR KEREN. (British Official Wireless.) (Received This Day. 11.10 a.m.) RUGBY, March 11. A Middle East communique states:' — In Italian East Africa bombers of the South African Air Force heavily raided Harrar on March 8. Several direct hits were registered on barracks and other larger military buildings. Further north workshops on the Decamere Road, near Teclesan, and the railway near Habi Mantel were successfully attacked by R.A.F. bombers. Our aircraft continued to give very active support to troops closing in on Keren. Several enemy gun positions were bombed and machinegunned. A bridge on the KerenAsmara road was heavily bombed and a large petrol dump destroyed. Our fighter smachine-gunned and destroyed two enemy grounded bombers. From all these operations our aircraft returned safely. RAID ON MALTA. “Enemy aircraft attacked Malta yesterday. ’There were no R.A.F. casualties. Anti-aircraft fire damaged and probably destroyed several enemy fighters. “Enemy aircraft approached Port Said and Ismaila last night. Some bombs were dropped near R.A.F. aerodromes but no damage was caused.”