THE CHINA
FINAL STORMING OF KEREN
Imperial Forces Faced With Colossal Difficulties
Reuter Man's BOY KING
Description
Of The End
(By Reuter's Special Correspondent)
TAKES THE OATH
the
King Peter took oath yesterday morning in the Royal Palace amid impressive scenes.
THE FALL OF KEREN followed 52 days of frantic Italian efforts to hold the mountain fortress key to Eritrea. The cream of the Italian white forces with the colonial troopsvitch, and members of the Gov- were employed.
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The battle began on February 3 when a British mechanised formation which had chased the Italians from Agordat engaged a large Italian force at the entrance to a moun- tain pass.
During succeeding days
English, Scottish and In- JAPANESE
dian troops launched at-
tacks up the precipitous ROUT IN slopes. They had often to
form long human chains KIANGS!
to pass up water, food and ammunition to those es- tabЛshed on the ridges.
The troups were often exposed
to heavy fire but hung grimly to
a position once captured.
The RA.F. incessantly patroll- ed the roads along which sup-
ly attacked commun attung and gun positions
Dispersed and isolated,| the various Japanese] columns fleeing Kaoan and other cities in north- ern Kiangsi are being in-
The Serbian Patriarch, the Prime Minister, General Simo-
ernment and high civil and mili- tary officials were present.
Afterwards a solemn service was celebrated in the Cathedral.
THE KING ENTERED AND LEFT THE CATHEDRAL AMID A TORNADO OF CHEERING AND DEMONSTRATION BY HUGE CROWDS NEVER SUR- PASSED IN BELGRADE,
It seemed as though the whole of Belgrade had turned out to cheer the new King, who smiled and raised his hand in acknow- ledgment of the tumultous cheer- ing.
BOMBER DOWN
OFF BEACHY HEAD
A German bomber was shot down into the
British sea by fighters south of Beachy Head yester- day morning, says an Air Ministry com-. munique.
One British fighter is missing from patrol on Thursday. Reu-
ter.
GERMAN
TROOPS
Thanksgiving services were also NERVOUS
held in other churches, notably the Catholic Cathedral at Bel-1 grade, in the presence of all the Croat and Slovene Ministers. Reuter.
COMBAT DURING TEST FLIGHT
FIGHTER PILOTS, WHEN ENGAGED ON
Suicides and nervous-
ness among German
BRITAIN DELIVERS THE GOODS
It is a remarkable per- formance that during the war Britain could increase deliveries of textiles, che- mical and electric goods to the extent given, says the Swedish paper "Go- thenburg Morgenposten."
Trans-ocean countries have found that they
could not only depend on Britain's delivery of goods ordered but their delivery on time.
The maintenance of British ex- ports at full strength depends finally on the British Fleet's ability to protect transports, Na- turally some losses cannot be avoided but neither U-boats nor bombers have been able to a greater degree to break the Bri- tish patrols.
If British losses remain as at present they can be replaced en- tirely by new ships built in Bri- tain and the United States. Reuter.
troop in Holland, who be- VERSATILE
lieve they will be forced
to try to invade England, INDIAN
are reported in messages
reaching the "Vrij Neder- TROOPS
Dutcli
EVEN land," the Free
newspaper in London.
PRAC-
ples were rushed and also havi- tercepted and subjected to annihilating attacks. One unit which fled to TICE FLIGHTS TO TEST RE- Tangpu, west of Kaoan, CENTLY-OVERHAULED was trapped yesterday EYES SKINNED FOR THE UN- Anglo-French force from the north and badly cut up.
Sappers' Feat
+ One vital factor in the success was the rapid advance of the
after February 24.
it had taken Kubkub
On
The total number of prison. which had been captured
crs was over 6,000.
Perfect timing by Sappers they cleared a road
block
as
on
the precipitous mountainside un- der enemy re enabled British armoured fighting vehicle, sup- ported by infantry to capture the
town.
Armoured fighting vehicles reached the road block just as the Sappers had completed track through the block.
it
All field-glasses among waiting British troops were trained anxiously on the vehl- clos as they crept like large beetles along the winding track,
White Flag
Remnants of the unit are con-
bas
the
tinuing their flight eastward with the Chinese close on their heels. Another Japanese column which
been surrounded by Chinese at Loshan and Nancha, in north-western Kiangsi near the Hupeb border, yesterday made the repeated attempts to escape Chinese encirclement but were beaten back with losses,
area
AIR- CRAFT, HAVE TO KEEP THEIR
EXPECTED ENEMY AIRCRAFT IN THE NEIGHBOURHOOD, HOW THEY REACT TO THE
EMERGENCY IS TOLD IN THE COMBAT REPORT OF A YOUNG PILOT OFFICER STATIONED IN THE WEST COUNTRY.
"I was engaged testing a ma-
wrote, **when chine" he
I was suddenly ordered to fly to a spot off the Cornish coast where I was likely to find a Jerry' at about 10,000 feet, He was there all right."
Profound satisfaction is Parachute troops---among whom felt in New Delhi that In-* are boys of 17 are particularly dian troops shared the nervous. Two German soldiers re- ceived orders to be ready for the honours with the British
"That following morning. only mean England," they said. in the capture of Keren, Next morning both were found hanged.
can
Tributes are paid to their ver- satility in so successfully revert- hading from mechanised warfare in Libya to strenuous mountainous the sea,'
fighting in which their hardiness as a result of and endurance,
similar years of experience in country on the North-West Fron- tler, stood them in good stead.
"Some of the troops strange ideas about Bays one letter to the newspaper, "and used to stand on the dykes, looking out to see if they could get a glimpse of England.
"The Dutch in the coastal areas Unfortunately, though the pilot lost no opportunities of putting Meanwhile,
They told the Chinese have put on all the speed he could, his fear into their hearts. recovered the heights in the approach was seen by the German the Germans how dangerous it Aokushan
northern pilot early in
enough
for him to would be to attempt to cross to the Kiangsi.
dodge into cloud and escape.
England in flat-bottomed boats, This is not the first time that and invented many other dangers The Japanese detachment which pilots up on practice flights have to frighten them." landed at Kitshek on the southern been rushed off
battle. Kwangtung coast on Wednesday, Only a
to give few days UPO a pilot and captured Lukfung, important carrying out aerobatic practice city in the Kitshek Bay area, over a Midland aerodrome sighted north of the city, where they are right across was yesterday checked in areas a lone German bomber, chased it the North Sea to being engaged by the Chinese. — Holland and shot it down over the Central News.
mouth of the Scheldt.
The Sappers still moved ahead, testing for mines.
Directly the vehicles reached the end of the road I saw from my vantage point in an artillery observation post the white flag go up on the strategic peak of An- chil immediately above us.
Indian infantry, advancing un- séen, spread out like a fan in support of the vehicles and in- tercepted the enemy UN they scrambled down from further to the left.-Reuter.
ALL QUIET IN ALBANIA
FINANCE BILL.
*PASSED
Enemy patrol activity on the Albanian front was on a very res- The Indian Council of State yes- tricted scale, reported Athens ra- terday passed the final reading of heights dio last night, says a Reuter des- the Finance Bill without a divi-
patch from the Greek capital. sion, says Reuter from New Delhi. |
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In the Council of State yester- day General Auchinleck, the G.O.C., announced he had receiv- ed a cable from General Wavell extolling the bravery of the In- dian troops in the Keren. Reuter.
capture of
END OF AFRICAN
CAMPAIGN IS NOW
IN SIGHT
IT IS NOT UNDULY optimistic to štáře that the end of the campaign in East Africa is in sight, declare usually reticent British mili tary circles in Cairo.
British casualties at Keren have been com- paratively slight considering the scale of operations and the fact that Keren was one of the best natural fortresses in the world.
A great tribute is paid to the Indian divisions, which included several well-known British infans. try battalions
A share of the glory also goes to contingents of Palestinians, Free French, Cape motor trans- port and units of the French For eign Legion.
The British military spokesman said that among the most impor- tant effects would be a "big dose
End In Sight
It is unfa to assume, he said, that the Patriot ranks will swell as soon as the news spreads
He, added that Italian prisoners. | At Keren will "amount to "abre, thousands" and much equipment was abandoned by the Italiana Ara "precipitate retreat."
It is assumed that the Itillana will not put up such a stubborn of encouragement" to the Abys-resistatice at Asmara, the Eritrenfa Lainian Patriots.
supital, Reuter-