BELGIAN TROOPS

Wairarapa Times-Age, 17 March 1941, Page 5

BELGIAN TROOPS

TAKING PART IN AFRICAN OPERATIONS PROGRESS IN VARIOUS AREAS, ENEMY IN DIFFICULTIES IN SOMALILAND. Belgian troops are now fighting in company with Imperial forces in Africa, states the 8.8. C. A Cairo communique, reporting the capture of a town in Western Abyssinia, states that Belgian troops are fighting side by side with British troops. Troops from Italian Somaliland continue to advance into Abyssinia in all sectors. It is stated that the Italians in Italian Somaliland never dreamt that the British troops would advance before the rains. The suddenness and rapidity of the British advance constituted the main reason for the victory achieved. The line on .the Juba River was thought to be insurmountable, and the British motorised troops have left the enemy gaping. The morale of Italian askari troops is said to be low and bad feeling is said to exist between Italian royalists and Fascists. Considerable air activity is reported in the Keren area, where the Italian positions have been and machine-gunned. MotorMransport on the road between Keren 'and Asmaru was brought to a standstill, and a convoy of 30 to 40 vehiclesiwas set on fire, which was still burning 2 J hours later. In Eastern Abyssinia, the South African Air Force destroyed eight Italian aircraft. Three fighters were shot down and the other five were burnt out on the ground.

CONTINUED HEADWAY

MADE BY IMPERIAL FORCES. (By Telegraph—Press Association—Copyright) (Received This Day, 10.20 a.m.) RUGBY, March 16. A Nairobi communique states: “Imperial troops have penetrated far on the road to Jijiga and along the Strada Reale road from Mogadishu to Addis Ababa, via Neghelli. Operations are continuing.”