Evening star., 1940-12-22
British Bringing Up
More Reinforcements
For Bardia Siege
Field Forces Reported
Striking Beyond to
Base at Tobruk
81 the Associated Press.

- the Associated PRESS.
CAIRO, Egypt, Dec. 21.-The
British moved more reinforce4nents
today to Bardia, besieged Libyar
port where the Italians are making
their first real stand against Brit
aims 13-day-old North African cam
paign.
The town now has been cut off for
two days with the best part of two
italian divisions inside and British
guns turned on 1t from land and
sea. Field forces are reported Off
cially to be striking beyond that
smoking stronghold toward the i'm
portant Fascist base of Tobruk,
clearing areas to the west and
northwest.
Whether Bardia's beleagured
Italians intend to fight to the finish
or surrender is a question to which
there was no answer so far from
British military sources.
Tobruk DefenseS Strong.
The FasciStS, it was pointed out,
may have instructions to hold on
as long as possible to give Marshal
Rodolfo Graziani time to reorganize
his scattered forces further west
at Tobruk, for instance, which has
strong defenses.
Bardia also is strongly defended
and British headquarters indicated
today it would take considerable
more artillery shelling and aerial
- o,.Iy
sault can be launched.
The British hold that the final
outcome is not in doubt but that
they have had few casualties so far
and there is no reason for wasting
man power.
Striking far in advance of the
land forces, the r. A. F. last night
was reported to have carried out a
heavy raid on the Castel Benito Air
drome, near Tripoli on the coast,
almost all the way across Libya to
the Tunisian frontier.
The first Of two waves of bombers
scored four direct hits on three
hangers, a special communique said,
causing several fires and an explo-
sion in which II airplanes were de-
stroyed and several others damaged.
More Planes Destroyed.
It said the second formation laid
seven direct hits on or near the
hangers, three bombs falling in two
hangers other than those hit by the
first wave. In this attack, it said
eight more planes were destroyed
and still others damaged.
There were two large explosions
one of which blew up a building, the
communique added and fires were
left blazing over large area. Flames
from one burning bomb dump could
be seen 10 miles away, pilots related
In the areas beyond smoking Bar
dia, the British command reported
capture of 900 prisoners, along with
four guns, added to more than
10000 already taken captive.
Bardia itself, already reported
fixed in a circle of steel formed half
by the land forces and half by Brit
ish warships internationally shelling
the town from the Mediterranean
appeared to be taking mighty pun
ishment.
10000 Under Siege.
The only road out-that westward
to Tobruk, where the Italians may
make their next stand-was COM
manded not only by the guns of the
fleet, but by raiding British bombers.
Thus the estimated 10000 Italian
soldiers still defending Bardia were
under full state of siege.
While British artillery thundered
at the town, still more British troop
reinforcements were being brought
up, general headquarters said
During the day the Royal Air
Force announced that its violent
campaign against Fascist air bases
was continuing reporting heavy at
tacks on airdromes at Berka, Libya
and elsewhere.
Fires enveloped whole blocks" of
the Berka 'drome, it was said, and
at least two Italian planes were de-
stroyed on the ground. Five Ital-
ian craft were reported shot down
in air battles.