BRISK PURSUIT

Wairarapa Times-Age, 29 March 1941, Page 5

BRISK PURSUIT

BY BRITISH ARMOURED UNITS PROSPECTS OF ITALIAN COLLAPSE. IN WHOLE OF ERITREA. (By Telegraph—Press Association—Copyright) LONDON. Marell 27. Hardly pausing as they swept through the key Eritrean fortress of Keren, captured early today, British armoured units are pursuing the fleeing defenders in two directions. One formation has pushed along the road to Asmara, the capital, and the other raced along the Mogarreh Valley, northwest of Keren, where its members are now rounding up Italians opposing the British left flank.

In London it is realised that despite the tremendous importance of the Keren victory, the campaign in East Africa is not completed, but it is considered that fhe fall of the whole of Eritrea may be imminent. A special Cairo communique announcing the fall of Keren and Harar says that after heavy fighting for nearly a fortnight, under the most difficult physical conditions, but admirably supported by .the R.A.F., Imperial forces have again defeated numerically superior enemy forces. The military and air forces of the Empire have co-operated in the capture of Keren which, with its 10,000 inhabitants, of whom 1000 are Italians, lies in a rocky fastness 4000 feet above sea level. The country round Keren has been described by experienced Indian Army officers as worse than anything to be found on the North-West frontier of India. Keren is some 75 miles from Asmara by motor road and a railway. Military experts regarded it as an almost impregnable bastion, and it was defended by 60,000 or 70,000 crack Italian metropolitan and colonial troops and some of the best artillery in the Italian army. The enemy put up the strongest resistance that the Imperial forces have met during the African campaign.