THE CHINA MAIL, JANUARY 24, 1941.
TOBRUK ZERO HOUR
Eye-Witness Story Of Phases Of The Battle
JAPANESE MEDIATION ACCEPTED
The Vichy Govern- ment has accepted in principle the offer by Japan to mediate in the Thailand-French Indo-China dispute, according to Lyons radio yesterday.
The announcer added that the French Ambassador in Tokyo had authorised the Ja- panese to hold discus- sions with the Thai Government.
ter.
Reu-
SUSPENDED SENTENCES
Fancy Italian Line In Ack-Ack Fire
A THRILLING STORY of the attack on Tobruk has been received from a correspon- dent who was one of a small party which kept up with our troops, and actually took some prisoners themselves!
At 2.30 a.m., he reports, the R.A.F. opened the operations with a bombardment of To- bruk which was easily the most terrific pound- ing he had ever heard.
In reply, the Italians "put up | very fancy line in anti-aircraft fire."
The din increased to a fearful "Zero Hour" pitch at 6.20 .m. -
when our artillery went into netion. Great flashes lit the sky
as pandemoniun was let loose.
short distance away, everyone was on the qui vive for the actual attack and an orderly was calmly sorting out the mail which had just arrived from Australia!
A signaller told the correspon-
As dawn broke. our artillery | dent he had already received 5,000 ' fired seemed to grow slightly less Italian prisoners. Our guns were being moved 11 closer.
At 9.30 a.m., when the battle for about Westland Lysander planes, he and beer in progress said, did wonderful work "spot-four hours, the Brigadier told the SUSPENDED SENTENCES OF¦ting" for our guns.
assembled correspondents he was 90 DAYS HAVE BEEN GIVEN The Italians flung up an anti- moving up inside the defence perimeter and they could follow BY THE MUNICIPAL, JUDGE IN} aircraft barrage which at times SAN FRANCISCO ON TWO SEA-made the sky look as though tjhim it they wished. MEN OF THE U.S. NAVY WHO was suffering from measles, but WERE CHARGED WITH RIP- the Lysanders did not appear to PING DOWN THE SWASTIKA¦ give it the least attention. and FLAG FROM THE GERMAN continued calmly about their work, CONSULATE.
They will be handed over to the naval authorities who prom- ised they would be "adequately
Artillery Battle
went The correspondent then back to an Australian Brigade al-Headquarters.
dealt with."
*
The State Department has
ready expressed
Ger- regret to
A terrific artillery and battle was going on only
air
а
1
many over the incident.-Reuter.
We have a good stock of
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in Made
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allow-
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Many fabrics in Wool
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INSPECTION INVITED
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10, Ice House Street
They did, and had not gone far when they came on the first of what proved to be a steady stream of Italian prisoners. There were between 200 and 300 of them. and at first it seemed as though without a they were narching guard.
"Thumbs Up”
At the end of the party, however, the correspondents found on Australian soldier in charge, strolling nonchalantly along, with bayonet fixed. they passed, he smiled at the correspondents and gave the "thumbs up" salute.
A3
Inside the perimeter of de- fences, thousands more Italians were standing around in solid masses, waiting to be marched off.
The Australian' Brigadier toid the correspondents that en the morrow he would have the un- usual job of capturing an Italian. Admiral who was on beard the crippled Italian cruiser San Gior- gio.
•
an
He had never captured Admiral before, said the Brig- adier, and he was not quitë Bure how to go aboût“It!". For that matter, he had never captured || a warship before, either! -
Shortly afterwards, the corres- pondents found themselves tak- ing a few prisoners.
Out Of The Dugouts -
-They were passing by some dug-outs when they heard a noise from within. Two ItalianTMofficers-
THIEF RETURNS
BANK BOOK BY POST
Mr.
Chiu Fung-
sang, of No. 206, Queen's Road West, travelling yesterday on a bus between Cen- tral Market and West Point, had $380 stolen from his pocket.
A bank book was stolen from him at the some time, but this was returned by post later in the afternoon.
LITTLE DAYLIGHT
AIR ACTIVITY
LATEST GALLUP POLL
in
A sharp increase American sentiment favouring aid for BritainTM is shown in the latest Gal- lup Poll which follows Pre- sident Roosevelt's recent "fireside chat” and Mes- sage to Congress.
The question asked was: "Which of these two things do you think?
United more important for the States to try to do-keep out of war ourselves or help Britain win,' even at the risk of getting into war?"
Replies showed that 68 per cent favoured helping even at the risk of entering the war while 32 per cent favoured stay-„ ing out-Reuter,
CHINA TELEGRAPH TOLLS TO GO UP (SPECIAL TO "CHINA MAIL")- tolls within Free
It was officially stated yester- day "There has been very little enemy activity over this country to-day.
Telegraph Bombs have been drop- ped at three places on the coast China are to be increased as from of East Anglia. A few houses February 1. No announcement has
No-yet been made of the scale were damaged at two places one was killed and only a very, the increase, but it is understood few persons injured." British that the cost will be between ten Wireless.
to twenty-five per cent higher. -International News Agency. ·
78 MARRIES AT THE
REGISTRY
of
Mr. Sack Ying, 78 year-old pen- An interesting marriage was sioner of the U.S. Navy, residing solemnised this morning before at No. 3 Kilung Street, 1st, fløde, the Deputy-Registrar of Marri- and Lo Min, age 33, spinster, of ages, Mr. J. Reynolds, between the same address.
1
STOP PRESS
and 10 men were inside, and they used by, the "Sunday Herald"
The prefix “special” to telegrams 19
all trooped solemnly out their hands in the air.
with
and
"China Mail” to' indicate news which Is strictly copyright under the provi alona of the Telecommunications Or. dinance, 1938, and may not be reprint. ed, under any circumstances, either wholly or in part, without prior ar
When within half a mile of Tobruk, the correspondents saw a black pall of smoke rising from the other side, where oil dumps|rangement. had been destroyed.
Our artillery was still, pounding `the town," and two Italian coastal gurs were gallantly but hopelessly returning shell for shell."-
says
Another correspondent that our troops could actually have taken „Tobruk the same day the attack was ; launched, but by taking 'a few hours Jong- er over the job' kept bur -can- ualties down to a very......... low figure.
The Italian garrison was out- manoeuvred as soon as our ad- vance units made contact. Our ad- vance units decoyed the Fascists into giving away their gun post- tions, and our mechanised ad- vance guards were shitted around here and there until, the garrison was completely bewildered" and did not know where our troops were concentrating.
Power and Performance
Mrs. Yeh Ting, wife of Gen- eral Yeh Ting, Cammander of the disbanded Fourth Route Army, who has been arrested by the Chungking authorities, arrived in Hong Kong to-day.
Two persons were killed
and twelve injured when a commercial air-liner crashed the airport at St. Louis, Mis- souri, early this morning. Reuter.
DEATH
MAY:-At the. Matilda Hospital, Hong Kong, at 7,15 'p.m, on Thursday, 23rd January, Annie May,--widow of the late George Thomas May m her, 68th year.
Funeral will pass the Monu- ment at 6 p.m., to-day:
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