MOUNTAIN BATTLE

Wairarapa Times-Age, 20 March 1941, Page 6

MOUNTAIN BATTLE

THE ASSAULT ON KEREN PREPARATIONS IN RAIN & THUNDERSTORM. ACCURATE BRITISH SHELLING. (British Official Wireless.) (Received This Day. 11.20 a.m.) RUGBY. March 19. A correspondent with the Middle East Army writes that an Indian division which took part in the initial stages of the campaign in Cyrenaica, a Scottish Highland regiment and English Fusiliers participated in the attack on wellfortified 'ltalian positions among the mountains forming a strong natural defence for Keren. Preparations for the attack had gone on in blinding rain and a terrific thunderstorm. As the correspondents approached the area they had taken the thunder for gunfire, and feared that they might be too late to watch the battle. A strong wind was blowing when zero hour, 7 a.m. on Saturday, was reached. The British guns opened up with a terrific roar, as shells were poured on the Italian positions in the mountains at varying altitudes of from 1,400 to 6.000 feet. The advance was rendered all the more difficult as the only road to Keren available had been blown up where it winds through narrow mountain defiles, and every now and again exploding charges of dynamite sent avalanches of rocks hurtling on to it. R.A.F. bombers, with their customary mastery of the skies in this area, took part in the attack and bombed the Italian positions, the natural strength of which had been increased by fortifications and barbed wire. “From our observation post —we were lying on roasting rocks in a temperature of 105 degrees —it was possible to see the British shells bursting with unerring accuracy among the Italian positions,” the correspondent writes. “The artillery barrage raged for three hours, after which Imperial troops, advancing behind a smoke screen, made contact with an Italian force composed of 25,000 men, among whom was a division of crack Savoia Grenadiers and accompanying Alpine experts. The battle raged throughout the day. By noon, the now usual flow of prisoners began to arrive and were shepherded to prepared camps. Palestinian units also played their part in the fighting.” OFFICIAL REPORT PROGRESS IN ABYSSINIA. (Received This Day, 11.30 a.m.) RUGBY. March 19. A Cairo General Headquarters communique states: “In Libya there is no change. “In Eritrea, further important positions south of Keren have been captured and Italian counter-attacks have again been repulsed, with serious losses to the enemy. The situation con-, tinues to develop favourably. “In Abyssinia pressure by patriot forces is developing against Debra Marcos. On March 17, our troops occupied Jigjiga, an important centre of communications in ' South-East Abyssinia. In other sectors, our general advance is proceeding. Jijiga is fifty miles east of Harar and seventy miles south-east of Diredawa, which is on the Addis Ababa-Jibuti Railway.” AIR OPERATIONS IN AFRICA & ALBANIA. SUCCESSFUL RAID ON DOCKS AT DURAZZO. (Received 'This Day. 12.4 p.m.) RUGBY. March 19. A R.A.F. Middle East communique states: “Activity by R.A.F. aircraft, supporting our operations in Abyssinia, Eritrea and Somaliland continued unabated yesterday. “In the Keren area troops and gun positions on the hills around the town were heavily bombed and machinegunned. A direct hit was observed on enemy mechanical transport on the roads in the vicinity of Dologorodo. “In the southern theatre of operations, enemy defences at the Marda Pass, in Abyssinia,' where dive-bomb-ers made a heavy and successful raid on docks at Durazzo. Fires and explosions followed the attack, which was carried out despite intense opposition by enemy anti-aircraft batteries. Another formation attacked enemy motor transport and camps on the road between Buzi and Glave and direct hits were registered on the road and some buildings. “From these operations all of our planes returned safely with one exception.”