Evening star., 1940-12-20
British Fleet Strikes in Adriatic>
Blasting Albanian Port Of Va|ona;
Bardia Is Hit From Land Sea- Air
10000 Ito|ions
Holding Out in
BeIeoguered City


CAIRO. Dec. 20.-By land, sea and
air the British reported their forces
kept up remorseless pounding of
Bardia today, with Italians trapped
in that beleaguered Libyan port
battling fiercely to break through
their blocked line of retreat to the
west.
Supporting the forces encircling
Bardia, where the British estimate
10000 Italians are holding out, the
R. A. F. blasted the Libyan coast
westward to Derna, ITS miles from
the Egyptian frontier. Practically
the entire Fascist military establish
ment at Derna Camp was declared
left in flames.
Direct Hits on Barracks.
Heavily raiding Derna- simultan-
eously with similar assault of
Bardia, the r. A. F. command re-
ported its planes Thursday night
set off fires and explosions with
direct hits on barracks, police head
quarters, motor transport parks and
garages at the former Fascist base.
when our last aircraft left the
scene practically the whole of the
camp was ablaze," todays COM
munique said. Similar raids were
carried out on enemy troop con-
centrations and motor transports to
the northwest of Bardia, all our
bombs falling within the target
area"
In fierce air fighting yesterday,
the British said r. A. F. planes shot
down five Italian planes without
the loss of single British craft, and
that two other Fascist fighters were
believed winged.
(The Admiralty announced in
London that British naval opera
tions in support of the army at
Bardia ARE continuing" In a
heavy offshore bombardment the
night of December II three
Italian supply ships were said to
have been sunk
Bardia Post Protected.
British officials declared the Bar
dia post was protected by cunning
ly concealed network of tank traps,
land mines and machine gun en-
placements.
They hinted it might take some
time to overrun the positions, but
expressed no doubt over the final VIC
tory, which the British high COM
mand was attempting to speed by
Fastening more men and equipment
to the front.
Military circles here said the stiff
resistance encountered at Bardia was
not likely to lessen the activity of
British tanks and Bren gun carriers
which were reported mopping up
the road leading westward to Tobruk.
vital Italian naval base 80 miles from
the Egyptian frontier.
Graziana May Seek Test.
Reports from Rome indicated that
Marshal Rodolfo Graziani, COM
mander of Italys North African
armies. might select Tobruk as the
site for a conclusive test of strength
with Gen. Archibald P. Wavell's
army of the Nile.
There was no indication here that
the British intended to avoid such a
reckoning or to permit Marshal
Graziana to reinforce his position
at Tobruk.
The British Navy was reported
keeping the Libyan coast under
bombardment from the Egyptian
frontier to Bengasi, we'll to the west
of Tobruk, while the Royal Air
Force blasted at Derna and Benina.
Troops Still Moving West.
Indications here of heavy British
troop movements to the west gave
emphasis to Prime Minister Winston
Churchill's statement before the
House of Commons in London yes
terday that "the offensive is by no
means at an end"
The task of maintaining steadily
lengthening lines of communication
was regarded here as one of the chief
problems facing the British in con-
tinuing their drive into Libya. Losses
in man power apparently constituted
a negligible factor, for official fig
ures yesterday put British casual
ties at less than 1000.
Conveys of Italian prisoners con-
(See EGYPT, Page A-7.)