Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1940-12-23
Continued From First Page.)

by our troops on the desert country
fiat, easily looked over and devoid
of any tactical possibilities, the
enemy had an easy time of pooling
masses of armored equipment, med
ium and heavy tanks, aided by fast
moving batteries and effective as
SiStance of the air forces" he re-
ported.
Short preparation generally was
entrusted to artillery and aviation
A murderous air bombardment had
hardly ceased when armored forces
rushed from all directions against
our troops and thus, despite the
most strenuous resistance, the key
points, in a few hours, were SUBJ
merged one by one"
The Italians never gave up, Graz
iani asserted, so long as they had a
cartridge to shoot. Earlier British
reports said hundreds had surren-
dered with full equipment and many
with loaded gunsD
Graziana asserted it would Ger
tainly be premature to forecast de-
velopments in the titantic fight" in
Libya.
He said the italian forces were
not surprised by the British attacks
which began December 8. Italian
scouting planes had reported mass
ing of British troops and equipment
east of Matruh from the beginning
of October, he continued, and from
prisoners captured the night of De-
cember 7 it was learned the attack
was to start in about 10 days.
He had only the highest praise for
his men and declared that if the
number of prisoners taken by the
British was high it was because the
Italians held out ito the last
spasm."
Our italian and Libyan divisions
in this battle have held high the
traditions of gallantry and heroism
of our army" the marshal reported.
Commanders and troops have writ
ten pages of the most splendid hero
ism in desolate stretches of the
western desert.
italian troops sacrificed them
selves without sparing. once more
confirm to you categorically that
everybody there has fulfilled his
duty as far as possible"
Marshal GRAHAM commented
especially on the support given the
British ground forces by the fleet
and air force and added that sand
storms had handicapped his own air
force. Nevertheless, he said, italian
flyers brought down AZ British
planes and possibly 20 more.
Preparations Detailed.
Marshal Graziani's report was
long, and detailed the preparations
for the italian offensive ordered by
Mussolini the day after the Fascist
troops reached Sidi Barrani, Egypt
in September.
To supply water in the occupied
zone in Egypt, the Marshal said, his
troops built u miles of pipeline and
road from Fort Capuzzo on the
Libyan frontier to Sidi Barrani.
Some of the Italian units, he
declared, marched hundreds of miles
on foot, to economic on transport
facilities, and were burning for
battle"
BY the first day of December all
the Italians lacked for the offensive
was the tanks and mechanical
equipment they had ordered from
home. The fact that the British
were preparing for their own Often
sive was not unknown, GRAHAM
said, and he took measures to deal
with the situation.
He said the British had an easy
chance of employing masses OF
armored cars, supported by mobile
guns and their air force, against
the italian troop positions in the
fiat desert.
after short but terrible gun
fire and air commandments, the
armored cars came from every
where encircling our resistance
centers which in some hours were
overthrown," the marshal said.
But the Italians never gave way
so long as they had single car
fridge to shoot, he said. Reports
from British sources said last week
hundreds surrendered with full
equipment and many with loaded
guns)
Little Units Sacrificed.
Marshal GRAHAM said that after
the first defeat, another line was
formed between Salum, Egypt, and
Fort Capuzzo, and the main forces
of the italian troops withdrew t