VICTORIOUS DRIVE

Wairarapa Times-Age, 27 December 1941, Page 3

VICTORIOUS DRIVE

PROGRESS OF BRITISH TROOPS IN LIBYA Main Enemy Forces 100 Miles Beyond Benghazi LARGE NUMBER OF PRISONERS IN HAND AIR ATTACKS CONTINUED VIGOROUSLY LONDON, December 26. In Libya the bulk of the enemy forces are now 100 miles south of Benghazi. Isolated enemy forces are being dealt with in other areas. In one encounter six enemy tanks, were knocked out and in another three Italian tanks, eleven armoured cars and considerable quantities of material were captured. Over 13,000 German and Italian prisoners are in hospitals or prisoner of war camps in the Delta area. A large number remain to be evacuated. In addition we have recovered large numbers of British wounded. In the frontier area an enemy detachment tried to make a sortie to obtain food and water. The attempt was defeated and four enemy light tanks were destroyed. A small ship which tried to get supplies to the enemy in the Halfaya area was engaged by our field artillery and set on fire. She then ran ashore.

Considerable further damage has been done by our air forces to enemy transport, armoured fighting vehicles and guns.

DESTRUCTIVE WORK

DONE BV ITALIANS IN BENGHAZI

BUT NO DAMAGE DONE TO COASTAL ROAD. SETTLERS WELCOME IMPERIAL TROOPS. (British Official Wireless.) (Received This Day, 9.50 a.m.) RUGBY, December 26. An agency correspondent' with the Eighth Army in Libya has cabled that although the Italians have done a lot of destructive work in Benghazi, they seem to have been reluctant to destroy the motor road along the coast. They seem to have a sentimental objection to destroying what they built themselves and are proud of. He adds: On the side of the roads were a number of undamaged Italian colonisation farms. Here and there Italian settlers greeted the British troops, waving flags. -Most of the settlers were political enemies of Mussolini, exiled in Libya.” It could now be stated, said the correspondent, that the combined British. South African and Indian column which first entered Barce made a sweeping advance from Giovanni Berta, covering 80 miles in one day. When the Imperial troops entered Barce they were met by two whitebearded Franciscan monks, whose chief preoccupation was to meet an English padre, so that they might be able to organise a Christmas service in the fine Roman Catholic cathedral.

It is stated in authoritative quarters in London that the operations in Libya have been carried out with such speed that it is difficult to present an accurate picture of the situation existing at any given moment. It would seem that the Germans are still holding Jedabaya, about 100 miles south of Benghazi, and they are now completely separated from the Italians, whose position is even more obscure. It is difficult to say how many Italians have been able to escape. Some are known to be north of Benghazi. Many prisoners and much material are known to have been captured, but there has not yet been time- to couift them. The single fact-that a hundred enemy aircraft were found destroyed on the ground at Berka Aerodrome gives some idea of the extent of the damage caused to the enemy.

HEAVY AIR ATTACKS BEHIND THE ENEMY FRONT DAMAGE TO MOTORISED UNITS. RAIDING PLANES SHOT DOWN AT MALTA. ■ (British Official Wireless.) (Received This Day, 10.35 a.m.) RUGBY, December 26. , A R.A.F. Middle East communique states: “Concentrations of enemy motor transport, armoured fighting vehicles and guns, south-west of Jedabaya were effectively attacked by our fighters yesterday and considerable damage was done to other enemy motorised units. The El Agheila area was bombed during Wednesday night. Direct 1 hits were obtained and a number of lorries were destroyed. On Tuesday night objectives at Tripoli- and Misurata were raided. At Tripoli, direct hits were scored on the Karamanli Mole, while at Misurata bombs fell on barracks and other military buildings. Fires which broke out were seen many miles away from the target. “Formations of enemy aircraft' which attempted to raid Malta on December 24 were intercepted by our fighters and two Junkers 88s were shot down. A third Junkers 88 was shot down by anti-aircraft fire.

“From these . arid other operations, three of our planes are missing.

NEXT MOVE WILL DRIVE BE CONTINUED WESTWARD? TO FRONTIER OF TUNISIA. PURSUIT OF ENEMY REMNANTS. (By Telegraph—Press Association —Copyright) CAIRO, December 25. > Following on the capture of Benghazi, the question on everyone’s lips is, Will the Allied forces attempt to sweep on to the Tunisian frontier before Axis reinforcements arrive? 1 At present there are only Italian infantry in that region. An exact computation of the proportion of forces General Rommel managed to*get out of Cyrenaica is impossible, but it is generally believed he extricated only a handful of tanks. The scanty remains of the German armoured forces, also all infantry which could be assembled, are making their way round the Gulf .of Sirte, along a good road to Tripoli. Everything not essential is being abandoned. The Allied forces certainly had no time to celebrate Christmas, as they are fully occupied in pursuing the fleeing columns, also mopping up stragglers. No more Germans can join those already southward of Benghazi, because the British have cut the road. British bombers and fighters are increasing General Rommel’s difficulties, and are not allowing the retreating columns the slightest respite. There are still enemy pockets of resistance in the Bardia, Solium and Halfaya areas, but cleaning up is merely a matter of time. They will either be starved out or forced to submit by force. The Algiers radio the British took 10,000 prisoners in the Benghazi area. It is estimated that another 40,000 Italians are still north-eastward of Benghazi.