FURTHER PROGRESS

Wairarapa Times-Age, 8 July 1941, Page 5

FURTHER PROGRESS

IN DRIVE ON BEIRUT ALLIES NOW IN CONTACT WITH MAIN DEFENCES. INDIANS MAKING HEADWAY TOWARDS HOMS. LONDON, July 7. A Reuter message from •Jerusalem states that Allied forces in Syria are consolidating their positions in the north bank of the Biver Damour and are now making contact with the main Vichy defences round Damour village. A Middle East communique states that Indian troops on the way to Homs have captured further positions, slightly to the north of the Beirut-Is-tanbul railway. HEAVY RAID ON ALEPPO. In Syria last night and the night before the aerodrome at Aleppo was heavily attacked and a number of aircraft were destroyed. The harbour and shipping at Beirut were also attacked, besides military targets in the neighbourhood. In North Africa British planes bombed the harbour installations, sidings and transport parks at Benghazi. NET CLOSING WHOLE OF NORTHERN SYRIA THREATENED. ADVANCES IN MANY AREAS. LONDON. July G. The recently increased momentum of the Allied campaign in Syria has been further accelerated in the last two days, particularly toward Beirut and Homs. After a fortnight’s stubborn Vichy resistance at the Damour River the Allies are now taking up positions from which the final offensive against Beirut should not long be delayed. The capture of El Bourn, a strategic village on the north bank of the Damour, represents a sharp advance in the Allied coastal drive. The initial crossing of the Damour River followed an intensive R.A.F. hammering of the Vichy troops who were strongly entrenched on the north bank. There were also bombardments from the sea. A heavy air attack was simultaneously launched against Beiteddin, 11 miles to the south-east of Beirut, on which the left flank of the Vichy forces rests. The recent victories in the Jezzin sector have enabled the strengthening of the right flank of the Allied coastal column. In the Merj lyun sector, the Allies shelled the Vichy troops out of Hasbeiya, but the latter still possess a number of points in the vicinity of the town. The Allied column from Damascus is steadily progressing along the precipitous Damascus-Beirut road, despite intense bombardment' from Mazzar, and it is expected that they will shortly also be in a position seriously to threaten Beirut. Meantime the rapid Allied advance continues in central Syria. The armoured column which captured Palmyra has now reached a point 25 miles from Homs. Allied forces are also moving steadily toward Aleppo from Nebk,■ Dier ez Zor and Tell Kotchek in the north-east. The whole of northern) Syria is now threatened. A message from Istanbul states that' Senegalese and other native troops 1 have started rioting and looting, disobeying the orders of their officers. The “New York Times” Ankara correspondent says an Allied column, mostly Australians, has reached within six miles of Beirut, while other columns from Iraq are occupying valuable territories adjacent to Turkey and Iraq. ARMISTICE REJECTED DENTZ DECIDES TO FIGHT ON. NEW YORK, July 6. The Ankara correspondent of the Associated Press of America says it is understood that the Vichy leader in Syria, General Dentz, rejected British proposals for a "painless armistice” giving his troops the option of joining General de Gaulle or returning to France. General Dentz said he was determined to fight to the end. but British sources believe that the, end is near. ’ VICHY SHIP CAUGHT FLYING TURKISH COLOURS. SUNK BY BRITISH AIRCRAFT. LONDON, July G. The Vichy French fleet auxiliary St Didier was detected abusing Turkish territorial waters with her distinguishing marks painted out and flying the Turkish flag. She was sunk on the evening of July 4 by British aircraft in the neighbourhood of Adalia. CAIRO COMMUNIQUE IMPORTANT POSITIONS CAPTURED. (British Official Wireless.) (Received This Day, 10.10 a.m.) RUGBY, July 7. A Cairo headquarters communique states: “In Libya and Abyssinia there is nothing of importance to report. “In Syria Indian troops captured Demir Kapou, 18 miles west of Tel Kotchek. British mechanised troops are continuing to advance towards Homs. In-the central sector an important position north of Jezzin was captured by the British. Australian troops crossed the River Damour, on the coast, and. are now in contact with the main Vichy positions about the town of Jezzin.” DAMOUR BATTLE THE AUSTRALIAN ASSAULT. DIFFICULT RIVER CROSSING. LONDON, July 7. A special correspondent with the Australian forces in .Syria writes: “At

1.20 on Sunday morning, with the battle of the River Damour in progress, the Australians launched an infantry offensive preceded by an hour’s very heavy barrage. In the early hours they reached their first objective, crossing the river at two points and wading through the shallow waters, but experiencing the greatest difficulty in ascending the sharp banks of the Damour, which runs in a gorge. “Rushing through to the battleground we could see the flashes of the guns on the horizon in the threequarter moonlight. The barrage put up by the medium and light field artillery and heavy howitzers, was terrific. When the infantry started to advance, the bombardment of the Vichy concentrations was increased. The Navy and R.A.F. both gave f the Australians splendid support. It was some time before they started their bombardment of the Vichy troop concentrations because of the poor visibility. At the time of writing this message from a small house on the shore of the Mediterranean, we could not only see the fire of the Navy, but hear the tremendous noise of the shells reaching their destination. As for the R.A.F., their fighters, in splendid formation, are always in the sky, making an impassable screen should Vichy planes attempt to attack the fleet. “As the battle raged, with the Vichy gunners replying to the British fire with their 75 mortars and a few 102’s and 420’s, guerrilla warfare was proceeding along the mountainous road. There is every indication that the Vichy troops are slowly retreating toward Jezzin.”