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5 miles. The Italian cruiser San Georgic in Tobruk harbour was set on fire, together with a number of dumps, stores and petrol, &c.
Australian troops entered Tobruk shortly after midday on the 22nd January.
25. So far over 14,000 prisoners have been taken together with about 200 guns of various calibres and quantities of material.
Our casualties were under 500.
26. With the fall of Tobruk Marshal Graziani is left with 5 divisions out of the original 15; 2 are in Cirenaica and 3 in Tripolitania. No Italian reinforce- ments are known to have arrived in Libya, nor has any eastward movement of the Tripolitanian garrison yet been reported. The Italians will probably have the assistance of German aircraft when next engaged with our forces.
27. The course of our advance from Egypt since the start of operations is outlined below:-
December 7-Operations against Italians in Sidi Barrani area com-
menced.
10.-Camps at Nibeiwa-Tummar-Maktila captured. 11.-Sidi Barrani captured.
16. Sollum, Fort Capuzzo, Sidi Omar captured. 28.-Prisoners up to this date estimated at 38,000. January 3 3.---Centre defences of Bardia penetrated.
Sudan.
وو
19
3
5.-Bardia captured with at least 32,000 prisoners. 12. Now estimated that during operations against Bardia 2,041 officers and 42,827 other ranks were captured or killed. Equipment taken or destroyed included 368 medium and field guns, 26 heavy A.A. guns, 68 light A.A. guns, 117 light tanks. 13 medium tanks and 708 M.T.
21. Outer Defences Tobruk penetrated. 22.-Tobruk captured with 15,000 prisoners.
28. On the night of the 17th/18th January the Italians evacuated Kassala. This place and Tessenci, over the border in Eritrea, have been occupied by our forces. By the 21st January our forces had occupied Aicota (26 miles east of Tessenci) and are now in touch with the enemy holding defensive positions covering Bishia and Barento, some 60 miles to the eastwards of Kassala.
Abyssinia.
29. Rebel activity is so far most active in the north-west corner of the country, in the Gojjam and Lake Tana districts.
Kenya.
30. During the week patrol activity has taken place on the frontier 80 miles east of Lake Rudolf and along the frontier between Kenya and Italian Somaliland.
Far East (French Indo-China).
31. The majority of the reports of recent fighting have come from official Thai communiqués. These state that Thai forces have crossed the frontier and advanced in the direction of Luang Prabang, Bassac, Sisophon, Siemreap and Battembang, and have captured some prisoners and a quantity of war material. French official sources, whilst admitting a Thai advance of 7 miles along the Sisophon road, claim that Thai forces in the general Poipet-Sisophon area have been dispersed, and that they have occupied the island of Done Sanot, in the Mekong river, 45 miles south-east of Savannakhet. The situation is still fluid. Thai reports of penetration into Indo-China may be exaggerated. There are signs that both sides are willing to negotiate, but prospects of an immediate settlement do not appear good.
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