BENGHAZI TAKEN

Wairarapa Times-Age, 26 December 1941, Page 3

BENGHAZI TAKEN

ENTERED BY BRITISH TROOPS ON TUESDAY

ENEMY IN FULL FLIGHT FURTHER WEST

MOBILE COLUMNS

STRIKING HARD AT RETREATING GERMANS

Italians Cut Off North-east of Benghazi

IMMENSE QUANTITIES OF MATERIAL CAPTURED OR DESTROYED SMASHING ATTACKS BY IMPERIAL AIR FORCES LONDON, December 25. BENGHAZI, THE CAPITAL OF CYRENAICA, WAS OCCUPIED BY OUR FORCES YESTERDAY, 37 DAYS AFTER THE OPENING OF THE PRESENT OFFENSIVE. In spite of bad weather and heavy going, our strong mobile columns continue to strike hard at the enemy troops in the region between Benghazi and Jedabaya and still further west. Heavy casualties have been inflicted on the enemy and immense quantities of material have been captured or destroyed. Some bodies of enemy troops, believed to be almost entirely Italians, still remain in areas north-east of Benghazi and are being dealt with. In the frontier region, our forces have eliminated another enemy position near Bardia. Benghazi was first captured on February 6, as the result of General Wavell’s whirlwind campaign, but two months later had to be abandoned to superior Axis forces. The British troops left the town almost unusable. The Royal Dragoons were the first British troops to enter Benghazi yesterday. They found it devastated.

When Benina aerodrome was captured, a large number of enemy aircraft were found which had been destroyed on the ground by our aircraft. A Cairo air communique reports that throughout yesterday aircraft of the R.A.F. and the South African Air Force attacked enemy motor convoys west of Benghazi. Many vehicles were destroyed or damaged and many casualties inflicted on personnel. Elsewhere three enemy planes were destroyed and others severely damaged. From these and other operations two of our planes are missing.