SOLLUM TAKEN

Wairarapa Times-Age, 14 January 1942, Page 3

SOLLUM TAKEN

BY SOUTH AFRICAN REGIMENT

PRESSURE ON HALFAYA

INTENSIFIED.

PROGRESS MADE TOWARDS EL AGHEILA.

LONDON, January 13,

11l Libya the Transvaal Scottish Regiment has attacked and captured the village of Solium. This regiment was the first to enter Addis Ababa, where its commander received the surrender of the Italian Comman-der-in-Chief, the Duke of Aosta.

An observer saw the South African troops in Solium going from house to house, clearing up the remnants of the German and Italian garrison. The houses in Solium were each little fortresses in themselves. One was the German commander’s , headquarters. The prisoners taken in Solium numbered 350, of whom rather more than half were Germans.

The capture of Solium frees Egyptian territory of Axis troops. It also cuts off Halfaya from supplies by sea. The chance of airborne supplies reaching Halfaya is slender as a constant watch is maintained by our air forces.

In the Jedebaya area our advanced columns have made considerable progress towards El Agheila and the line on which the enemy forces may be making a stand.

FIRES & EXPLOSIONS

STARTED IN ENEMY BASES,

TRANSPORT & TROOPS HARRIED

(British Official Wireless.) (Received This Day, 10.20 a.m.) RUGBY, January 13

A R.A.F. Middle East communique states: “Further effective bombing raids on objectives in Tripolitania were carried out by our aircraft during Sunday night. At Buerat-el-Sun fires and explosions were caused and concentrations of enemy motorised and armoured forces to the west of Sirte were also attacked. At Tripoli the Spanish Mole and shipping in the harbour were again bombed, but the results of the bombing could not be observed. Bombs were also dropped at Homs and at various points along the coastal road. During yesterday enemy motorised forces east of Agheila were attacked by our bomber aircraft and Free French bombers continued their raids on objectives at Halfaya with good results. ‘•From these and other operations four of our aircraft are missing.”