1940-12-11 — Page 1

Library, Supreme Cover

BEHIND OFFENSIVE IN EGYPT 3

RICKSHAWN

BRAND

CEVLON TEA

Seenug?h Page

CHINA MAIL

FIRST NEWSPAPER IN THE FAR EAST ESTABLISHED 1845.

No. 92,019

WEDNESDAY, DECEMBER 11, 1940

·Price: 10 cts.

FIRST

INSIST ON

Daisy Brand

Australia's Choices.

BUTTER

ITALIAN DIVISIONS AT SIDI BARRANI CUT OFF British Forces Smash Through To

Coast In 24 Hours

SIXTEEN MILLIONS A DAY LAST WEEK

Britain last week spent the record sum of nearly £16,000,- 000 a day.

This figure is dis- closed by Exchequer returns for last week, issued in London yes- terday, showing total ordinary expenditure at £110 millions and total ordinary re- venue at £23 millions.

-Reuter.

WEDGE 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.

As the attack developed British aircraft cease- lessly hammered Italian communications to check the movement of reinforcements.

-During the night of Sunday British naval units successfully bombarded Maktila Camp and Sidi Barrani in support of the operations, stated a naval communique issued in Cairo.

BRITAIN'S BALANCE

In their swift thrust to the coast the British SHEET

troops have driven a wedge between the Libyan forces holding Sidi Barrani and divisions sup- porting them further west.

CANNOT

BRITAIN

LOSE THE WAR

"BRITAIN CANNOT lose the war unless we are guilty of wavering on the road to vic- tory," said Mr. Arthur Greenwood, Minister without Portfolio, speaking in London last evening.

"

"I do not say victory is round the corner,' Mr. Greenwood added, "but I do say un- hesitatingly that Germany cannot win.

AWARDS TO A.A. MEN

The area occupied by the enemy forms, roughly speaking, an equilateral triangle the points of which are Sidi Barrani and the

camps at Maktila, miles to the west along the coast, and Nibeiwa, 15 miles due south of Sidi Barrani,

Italian

15

INVASION PORT FIRES STILL ABLAZE

ports on Monday night were still blazing fiercely yesterday.

Fires started by the High officials of the RA.F. at French invasion United States defence and fiscal departments have been summoned to the Treasury to meet the Secretary, Mr. Henry Mor-mid-Channel glowed red but lat- genthau.

re-

In the morning the haze over

er, when the day was slightly old- er, great flames and columns of smoke rising from the French coast made a spectacular sight.

The fires appeared to be worst

He will tell them the facts con- 'Nibelwa Gamp wab the cerning Britain's financial poaltion captured by the Bri- sources which have been given by tish early on Monday morn-Sir Frederick Phillips, the British in and around Calais-Reuter. ing, when 500 prisoners were | Treasury envoy. taken.

It is understood that during their two-hour conversation at ed a balanced statement of Bri-

Naval Bombardment, Mr. Morgenthau's home on Mon-tain's resources and costs of sup While the Royal Navy bom- day night, Sir Frederick present-ply.Reuter. barded one side of the triangle,

armoured units, supported by infantry, attacked the other two sides.

and

Acting in close cooperation, the R.A.F. ranged continuous- ly over the whole, area, bomb- Ing Italian poste, destroying ́mochanised - trangport

breaking up troop formations. "Our naval power to-day is

Many tons of bombs were relatively greater than any other dropped by British planes, period of the war. Our air which varied their. tactics by strength grows day by day,

diving.low and carrying out Our new armies are steadily machine-gun attacks on enemy growing in numbers, equipment, troops.

efficiency and striking power. The R.A.F's onslaught in sup. "Our industrial power in rela-port of the British drivo un- tion to war production continues doubtedly accounts for the ab- to expand.

sence of Italian raids on Alex- "The moral power of our peorandria during recent moonlight Some of the achieve-ple has never been higher than nights.

Evidently the Italians needed ments of Britain's anti-to-day after the most severe test-

ing to which any nation has ever every available aircraft to meet aircraft defences are re-been subjected.

the R.A.F. vealed by the War Office announcing yesterday awards of the O.B.E. and MC

Enemies Puzzled Meticulous Preparation “Our enemies are puzzled and

Months of meticulous prepara- angered that a people whom they tion behind the lines preceded had been led to believe were the present action against. Mar- -The OBE. goes to Li-Col, Nor- decadent and devoid of vigorous, shal Graziani's army, the bulk man Vause Sadler, commander of qualities, attacked by the so- of which appears to be stationed the anti-aircraft defences of Dove called dynamic - young nations, in the region round Sollum, er and East Kent, which have shot should have been able not only where the frontiers of Egypt and down, no " fower than 90 enemy successfully to withstand savage Libya meet.

planes during the last five months, and unbridled terrorism for be- All branches of the British The M.C. is awarded to 2/Lt | yond what sufficed to bring other forces in the Middle East, ex- Patricks ~ Valon Bennet, whose notions rapidly to their knees but tending for 400 miles into the heavy anti-aircraft section of the at the same time to counter with desert from GHQnt Cairo. Royal Artillery brought down 12 hard, shrewd and staggering are perfectly co-ordinated. enemy planes during the lost four blows that inflict great and grows. S months-Reutër

ing injury to our foos."--Reuter:, (Continued on Page 10)

HAVE AN H.B.

HOR

-AND THEN TRY!