1940-12-12 — Page 17

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SIDI BARRANI CAPTURED ITALIANS BROKEN UP IN DISORDER

Smashing Triumph SOVIET'S Of British Strategy HINT TO

NAVAL UNITS BOMBARDING RETREATING FORCE

British naval forces. have been harassing e ne my retreating along the coast dur- ing Tuesday night and on Wednesday, says a haval munique issued in Cairo.

com-

They have also been bombarding enemy columns on roads round Sollum.-Reu- ter.

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BULGARIA

SIDI BARRANI, SPEARHEAD OF THE ITALIAN ADVANCE INTO EGYPT FROM LIBYA, HAS FALLEN INTO THE HANDS OF THE IMPERIAL BRITISH FORCES WHICH ON MONDAY COM- MENCED A BLITZKRIEG ASSAULT ON THE FORTIFIED CAMPS free passage to German

If Bulgaria grants ESTABLISHED WITHIN THE EGYPTIAN BORDER BY MARSHAL GRAZIANI'S FORCES.

*

This new triumph, which follows the capture by British mechanised forces of Bugbug on Tuesday, means that a large part of two Italian divisions-mainly composed of Libyan troops though including some Black Shirts-have either been captured or anni- hilated.

VIOLENT BATTLE IN THE TEVELI SECTOR

(From Reuter's Special Correspondent on the Yugoslav-Albanian Frontier)

VIOLENT FIGHTING continued yester- day in the Teveli sector, where the Italians, who have been reinforced, are making des- perate efforts to prevent the Greeks from des- cending into the river valley.

In the Skumbi Valley, which leads to El- basan, the Greeks have advanced to positions in front of Vřepká.

Desperate Italian counter-at- tacks, intended to hold up Greek progress, have failed.

North of Podgradetz, where flerce fighting is progressing, the Greeks are maintaining their posi- tlons despite all attacks,

Along the Lake Okhrida coast road the Greeks. „have advanced slightly despite snow and rain.

Groups of Italians are crossing. the border to surrender to the Yugoslav authorities...

RAIDERS

ACTIVE IN

Port Of Valona Bombed CHANNEL

The R.A.F, ogain bombed Va- lona on Tuesday and a vessel in harbour was hit while other bombs fell among buildings, a munition

Small numbers:

of

dump and in a motor transport enemy aircraft have been park

This was announced at RAF active over the Channel headquarters in Greece yesterday, and the south-east coast It was added that all British air of England during day- light yesterday and bombs were dropped in a town on the south-east coast shortly after noon.

craft returned safely to base.

Rain And Snow. The Greek army continues to advance according to plan, said Athens radio list night; In con- tinuous rain and snow and is › pursuing "the enemy, N

On the left flank the 'anomy,

(Questions on Page 16

+

troops going to G Greece, the Soviet Union would occupy

the Bulgarian Black Sea ports of Burgas and Varna,

This is what the Secretary- General of the Soviet Commis- sariat of Foreign Affairs; - M. Soboleff, told King Boris dur-

A special Cairo communique yesterday his recent visit to Sofia, ac- stated: "This afternoon Sidi Barrani was cap-cording to well-informed sour

ces the Bulgarian capital, tured, with a large number of prisoners in-writes the Istanbul correspon- cluding three generals.

Advanced elements of aur mechanised d forces are now operating westwards and con- siderable additional captures have been made:"

The success of the British around Sidi Barrani; it was stated in Cairo yesterday, was the outcome of well-planned strategy.

British armoured forces first attacked the enemy's right flank and then forced their way to the rear while a fierce British frontal attack was

launched against enemy positions at Maktila, 15 miles east of Sidi Barrani.

This frontal attack was com- pletely successful

On finding themselves, cut off from the Rear, the italiana be- came disorganised when attack- ed from all sides,

Egyptians Thrilled

The capture of Sidi Barrani was announced at places of public entertainment throughout "Cairo and was greeted with tremendous enthusiasm, Egyptians. raising cheers for England.

The press features the news on the front, pages, and the. newspaper “El Ahram" usos for headline -a... verse... from the Koran: “Our possession return- ed to up

"A truly magnificent war,” was how a high Egyptian. Government official described the recapture of Sidi. Barrani to Reûter in Cairo.

He said the news' would cause

a sensation throughout Egypt..

-“This gmashing itallan defeat somovos, any possibla - doubt, doncerning the safety of Egypt," Ha declared, ** Router,

shops and houses and caused a small number of casualties, i.

It was added that one onémy These, says an Air Ministry aircraft was destroyed by R.A.F. communique, demolished - somo | fighters without loss, →→ Router.

Lent of the Free I'rench Agency in a despatch from the Turkish capital vesterday,

"King" _Boris" confirmed to ̈ ̃M. Soboleff that. Hitler had, asked Bulgaria to athere to the Tri- Partite Pact but the King avoided a direct reply, mak- ing Bulgarian adhesion depon- dont on the' - Soviet Union,

German propaganda, says the correspondent, immediately dis- tributed numerous pamphlets, the aim of which was to com- promise the Soviet Union,

The Bulgarian police establish-

ed that the pamphlets originat

ed in the propaganda. section of [the German: Legation-Reuter.

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