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BEHIND OFFENSIVE IN EGYPT See
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CHINA MAIL
FIRST NEWSPAPER IN THE FAR EAST. ESTABLISHED 1845.
No. 92,019
WEDNESDAY, DECEMBER 11, 1940-
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ITALIAN DIVISIONS AT SIDI BARRANI CUT OFF British Forces Smash Through To
Coast In 24 Hours
0000000000004
ITALIANS
FRANTICALLY
FORTIFYING
DURAZZO-
(SPECIAL TO "CHINA MAIL")
Mussolini's Fascist
legions, 'gouged and withered by the re- lentle.; Greek advan- ces, were last night
WEDGE DRIVEN IN GRAZIANI'S ARMY
SMASHING THROUGH THE ITALIAN LINES IN THE WESTERN DESERT, BRITISH ARMOURED UNITS WERE REPORTED IN CAIRO LAST NIGHT TO HAVE CUT OFF PART OF TWO ITALIAN DIVISIONS AT SIDI BARRANI.
Less than 36 hours after launching the surprise attack on a 30-mile front at dawn on Monday the British forces had reached the coast between Sidi Barrani and Bugbug.
reported to be fran- SHANGHAI
tically fortifying
Durazzo in prepara-POLICE
tion for the eventual-
ity of evacuating. Al- STRIKE
bania.
North and south, through show and
· rain, the Greeks keep surging forward.—In- ternational Service.
News
(SPECIAL TO "CHINA MAIL")
Chinese members of the
lice Force in the French Con- cession, Shanghai, went on strike at 8 a.m. to-day.
As the attack developed British aircraft cease-
lessly hammered Italian communications to check INVASION
the movement of reinforcements.
During the night of Sunday British naval units PORT FIRES
successfully bombarded Maktila Camp and Sidi Barrani in support of the operations, stated a naval communique issued in Cairo.
STILL
In their swift thrust to the coast the British ABLAZE
troops have driven a wedge between the Libyan forces holding Sidi Barrani and divisions sup- porting them further west.
The
area occupied by the All branches of the British Demands had been presented
to the authorities who had "fail-
ed to give a satisfactory reply." colour Own Correspondent.
RUSSIAN NOTE
OF WARNING
enemy forms, roughly speaking, an equilateral triangle the points of which are Sidi Barrani and the Italian .camps at Maktila, 15 miles to the west along the coast, and Nibelwa, 15 miles, due south of Sidi Barráni.
W Nibelwa Camp was the position captured by the Bri- tish early on Monday morn ing, when 500 prisoners were taken.
Naval Bombardment
TO GERMANY While the Royal Navy
(SPECIAL TO “CHINA MAIL "').
IT WAS LEARNED in London yesterday that Russio has delivered a Note to Germany warning the Nazi Government that Russia 'cannot remain indifferent" if Nazi troops are sent through Bulgaria to attack Greece or Turkey.
יזיי,
•The Soviet Note is believed to be respon- sible for Germany's apparent decision to re- frain from sending a German army through Bulgaria to help Italy crush Greece.
It was also stated that the re-iplomatic setback Germany has cent visit of, M. Molotov, the So Buffered in five years, vict Foxign Commissar, 'to Ber- represented the greatest di-
WEATHER RDORT
bom-
barded one side of the triangle, armoured units, supported by Infantry, attacked the other two sides.
Acting in close cooperation, the R.A.F. ranged continuous- ly over the whole area, bomb- Ing: Italian posta, destroying mechanised transport and breaking up troop formations. Many tons of bombs were
dropped by British planes, which varied their tactics
by diving low and carrying out machine-gun attacks on enemy troops.
un-
The R.A.F.'s onslaught in s sup port of the British drive doubtedly accounts for the ab- sence of Italian raids on Alex- andria during recent moonlight
nights
Evidently (the Italians needed every available aircraft. to meet the R.A.F.
Meticulous Preparation Russia's apparent, rebuke ta Germany, however, does not a Months of meticulous propara- mean that her colations with tion behind the lines preceded Britain aro improving. On the the present action, against Mar- contrary, they are regarded in chal Graziani's army, the bulk „Russian quartors an having of which appears to be stationed "never been worse in the region round ** Sollum, This is due to Britain's action where the frontiers of Egypt and ble intensity has developed over in taking control of Latvian Li Libya, meet. North China, 97* Pongthuanian and Esthonian ships in gas
Depressions are situated about British ports following Russia's
The Royal Observatory, reports that an anticyclone of consideru
200 miles west of Guam and 250 absorption of these Baltic coun- WEATHER FORECAST:---North- miles south-west of Manila, both tries.International News Ser- moving west.
VEC,
chat winds, fresh; fair gdner-
Fires started by the R.A.F. at French invasion forces in the Middle East, ex- ports on Monday night tending for 400 miles into the desert from GHQ at Cairo were still blazing fiercely are perfectly co-ordinated.
yesterday.
The difficulties of such a cam- paign can readily be imagined.
In the morning the haze over Supply Problemer, when the day was slightly old-
mid-Channel glowed red, but lat
Troops cannot replenish sup-smoke rising from the French er, great flames and columns of plies from orchards, grain stores, coast made a spectacular sight. cattle and waterworks in
cap- The fires appeared to be worst (Continued on Page 16) in and around Calais Reuter.
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HOR
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