+
RICKSHAW
BRAND CEYLON TEA
very Supreme Court
BATTLE FOR ABYSSINIA
See
Page
CHINA MAIL
FIRST NEWSPAPER IN THE FAR EAST. ESTABLISHED 1845.
No. 32,067
-SATURDAY, FEBRUARY 8, 1941
Price: 10 cts.
ENTER PRICE
INSIST ON
Daisy Brand
Australia's Choices. BUTTER
WAVELL MASTER-STROKE OUTWITS THE ITALIANS
British Forces
Appear Like Bolt
Out Of The Desert
POWERFUL CYRENAICA BRITISH FALLS TO THRUSTS
Two
powerful thrusts
to
which are pushing the Ita- lians daily nearer the Red | Sea have brought the Bri- tish forces right up Keren, a town on the main road and railway from Agordat to Massawa, ac- cording to latest reports from the Eritrean front.
The thrusts are rapidly increas- ing the pace of the Italian retreat from Barentu towards a point 20 miles to the east.
THE BRITISH
With the capture of Benghazi the whole of Cyrenaica, apart from a few isolated posts south of Benghazi, is now in British hands.
This statement was made to the press by O British military spokesman in Cairo last night, says a Reu- ter despatch.
Italians have been so persistently
(By Reuter's Correspondent With British General Headquarters in the Middle East)
WITH ANOTHER LIGHTNING LEAP FORWARD IN THEIR RECORD-BREAKING ADVANCE ACROSS NORTH AFRICA, BRI- TISH AND IMPERIAL FORCES YESTERDAY ENTERED BENGHA- ZI, LAST ITALIAN STRONGHOLD IN EASTERN LIBYA, AFTER A SWIFT AND SUDDEN BATTLE IN A BLINDING SANDSTORM. ITALIAN RESISTANCE IS BELIEVED TO HAVE BEEN, NEGLIG!- BLE.
An idea of the magnitude of the British success can be obtained from consideration at that more than half their orig.na! of the fact that less than two months have
be harrassed that it is very unlikely
because force will reach the main
roac
The enemy is reported to making attempts to resist Keren, no doubt chiefly local conditions favour them this respect, but they have come to Addis Ababa (capital of Abys. under British fire from batteries sinia.) brought up the hillside in the last few hours.
obviously hope to make a In the sector east of Barentu the away more effectively.-Reuter.
in from Asmara (cap tal of Eritrea) elapsed since the beginning of the offensive, yet British troops are now 400 miles from
It is along this road that they Sidi Barrani and 600 miles from Alexandria.
get- To-day British uniforms can be seen in the palm-lined avenues of Benghazi; provid- ing the bewildered inhabitants with evidence of the crack-up of the Italian Empire.
R-A-F. HAMMER AT INVASION PORTS
WAVES OF R.A.F. bombers last night made an attack of considerable scale on the invo sion ports on the French coast, Centre of the attack appeared to be in the Boulogne area which was heavily bombed the previous night, The fog had blotted out the English Chan- nel all day but last night there was some im- provement, although a layer of mist hung
over the sea.
Goering Message To R.A.F.
A wireless message from
Goering to the Royal Air
The raiders. which dropped parachute flares, were met by a terrific anti-aircraft barrage of streams of tracer bullets and' "flaming onions" which could be seen on the south-east coast above the fog.
The explosion of heavy bombs echoed across the Channel at frequent intervals and the sky was lit up by brifliant flashos. After the raid had been in
progress for an hour or two vivid
Despite the rapidity with which Benghazi has. fallen a complete scheme for British administration of the occupied territory is already in existence.
Looking back · on the whole tanks played an astonishing role, campaign it is clear that British
miles and taking one point after charging forward hundreds of
another completely, by surprise.
In the case of Libya the Bri- tish advance has been carried
out not only by coast roads hut clear across Cyrenaica behind
also by the interior road running mountain range.
Motor
Race To
Benghazi
"A magnificent effort:
sheets of orange flames shot up our forces must have had accompanied by violent explo- from a point east of Boulogne a motor race; extraordin-
sions which shook doors and win- ary
how the Italians dows of houses on the Kent coast, cleared out."
orce was transmitted and soon afterwards a bright red.
death in action glow spread across the sky ap-This comment was made in parently due to a fierce fire Melbourne yesterday by Major. Wieck, Ger which was itself-screened by the General Sturdee, Commander-in-
ber
fog in the banks of the Channel: Chef of the Australian Imperial
Reuter
forces, when he was told of the German
capture of Benghazi. interday. | Bitlah prison camp nos could his home be found in the list of iden- fled German casualties, the an- nouncer added...
Wieck was shot down on November 28 and Goering there
fter radioed a megrage asking news, of his fate.
Two days later the Aplled that Wieck was
te
Major General Sturdes arrived In Melbourne last month from the Middle East.
Mr. Fadden, acting Common- He also said that German naval wealth. Prime Minister, said he units searched the sea for tracer | was delighted at this culmination of Weck but falled to find any to the brilliant success of our
üter
Australian boys
!
Master Stroke
of
with the
LUFTWAFFE RAID EAST ANGLIA
Little enemy air activity occurred over Great Bri-· tain yesterday.
Ali
During the morning, states an Ministry announcement, bombs were dropped by a single
The capture of Benghazi was enemy aircraft on a town on the another
north-west coast of Scotland, in-, master stroke strategy, comparable
juring a small number of people. Another aircraft in the after- capture of Sidi. Barrani, The Italians had expected the east Anglican coast where some noon attacked a town on the roads, attack to come along the coastal
through most difficuit damage was done and there was a number of casualties, including Continued on Page 109
some fatal.
Reuter.
HAVE AN H. B.-
HIR
AND THEN TRY!