Evening star., 1940-12-12
Army of the Nile

WldI MI ClurCAlll plcCureSQuely
calls "the British and Imperial Army
OF the Nile" has won a splendid
victory in Egypt. 1t has retaken Sidi
Barrani. which the Italians have held
ever since they crossed the border
from Libya three months ago, cap
tured 5000 of Marshal Graziani's
troops, including three generals, and
seized large quantities of war mate
rlals. There can no longer be any
doubt that the British offensive in
North Africa is now on full blast and
the prospect bright for driving the
invaders still farther across the
corner of the western Egyptian
desert into which they penetrated.
These highly satisfactory results
are the outcome of skillfully co-ordi-
mated efforts of the Royal Navy and
Air Force and land troops made up
of British, Dominion and allied
"free French" units. Sidi Barrani,
Graziani's advanced base close to the
Mediterranean coast, along which
the Italians so confidently planned to
march, via Matouh, on Alexandria
and the Suez, fell in consequence of
a British pocketing movement exc
cuted in unison by army and air
forces, with the guns of the fleet in
effective support. 1t is not yet clear
whether the British have already
contrived to force a full head-on
engagement with the main body OF
Graziani's army. But they have
achieved decisive success and their
chances of expelling the Italians
completely from Egyptian territory
must be rated as exceedingly good
Maktila, to the east of Sidi Barrani,
has come under the fleets fire, while
every Italian airdrome to the west
has been bombed by the Royal Air
Force. With Sidi Barrani isolated,
the Fascist base to the rear, at
Buqbuq, is palpably endangered and
doubtless will be the next British
objective
Synchronizing with Italy's con-
tinuing reverSes in Albania, the
Importance of this substantial defeat
in Egypt cannot be overestimated.
1t contains all the elements of
bitter surprise for Mussolini. The
British Army facing Graziani was
supposedly vastly inferior in both
numbers and equipment. But COM
mand Of the Mediterranean not only
enabled Britain heavily to strengthen
her own forces, but prevented Rome
from reinforcing or supplying the
Fascist troops. The British thus were
enabled to recover the initiative in
the Egyptian zone of operations,
with the substantial results now
revealed. That these will have an
effect on the whole war situation,
if pressed with further victorious
advantage, seems unquestionable.
The loss of prestige to II Duce. self
proclaimed grand protector of
Islam," throughout the Near East, is
also bound to be immense. What
the Germans must think of the mill
tary prowess of their axis partner
can be easily imagined
Meantime, the Greeks give a pro-
gressively gallant account of them
selves in Albania. Late Athens
dispatches tell Of the exploits of the
fierce knife-wielding fighting men of
Crete, swarthy, tough Mediterra-
means, who prefer to use their long
cleaning knives for close combat,
rather than bayonetS. The Fascists
are said to be steadily falling back
along the coast road almost half
way up the Adriatic from Porto Edda
to Valona. "Tirana (the Albanian
capitaD by Christmas!" is the battle
cry of the intrepid Hellenic legions.
Between these events in Africa and
on the European front, Mussolini has
slight reason to contemplate festive
Yuletide. His military fortunes are
in disastrous diminuendo. His people
are on short food rations His indis-
pensable supplies OF industrial raw
materials are depleted. His military
and naval high commands are
demoralized. The British and their
Greek allies are justified in hoping
that the Fascist gamble in wantonly
entering Hitler's war may be headed
for ~ ipu1orio,,c An;ch