The Waterbury Democrat. [volume] (Waterbury, Conn.) 1917-1946, 1940-07-19
Italian Cruiser Sent
To Bottom In Battle
CONTINUED from Page u

with the sydney's 80 10 knots.
The Colleoni was built In 1882 and
the Sydney was completed in 1885.
The admiralty communique said:
"The commander-in-chief IN the
Mediterranean reports that Inns.
Sydney, Captain j. A. Collins, ac-
companied by q small destroyer
force, became engaged with two
italian cruisers early this morning
northwest Of Crete.
"In the ensuing action the Ital-
ian six inch gun cruiser Bartolemeo
Colleoni was sunk. The other Ital-
ian cruiser withdrew with British
forces In pursuit. A British de-
stroyer rescued $50 survivors from
the sunken cruiser"
On Another Front
BY JAN YINDRICH
UNITED Press Staff Correspondent
Facing Fort Capuzzo, on the Libyan
Frontier, July 16.-(By Courier to
Cairo) July 1o-(UP)--I watched
this afternoon while italian trucks
attempted to relieve the garrison in
the wreckage OF white battlemented
Fort Capuzzo, in the Libyan desert.
It has been seven days since the
Italians had received food, water,
ammunition or other supplies, and
but one truck, out of 100 that sought
to run the valleys Of British fire. got
through.
There are about 100 men in the
italian garrison. Not soul is visible.
I was told that the fort had been so
thoroughly wrecked that most Of
the garrison were defending them
selves from the ruins Of trenches
outside it.
Try TO Break Through
I lay on my stomach for two hours
In an observation post. under q blaz-
ing sun, watching 20 trucks try to
break through. They had been held
motio1less for hours by British fire
from artillery and rowing tanks.
One hundred in all, was told, had
tried vainly at dawn to break
through the British artillery, tank
and machine gun fire to take fresh
troops, water, ammunition and sup
plies to the fort.
British guns opened UP on the
trucks at 4 p. m. Other guns dropped
an occasional shell on the battered
fort.
During the entire two hours the
Italians tried to dodge one way or
another to get out Of range. None
did.
I lay alongside a soldier who was
telephoning fire directions to q bat
terry Of field guns He wore brown
mechanics overa]ls, khaki cap and
sandals. He was relaying orders from
a sergeant commanding an observa-
ton post This freckled, red faced
young soldier sat on a sandbag. The
sand flies crawled over his ears, nose
and mouth and about his eyes but
he continued imperturbably report.
ing where the shells landed and cor
recting elevation.
Much Destruction.
AS the guns Numbered in the rear
and the shells crashed in front Of
me, I watched the fort through BIZ
noculars. Most Of the main building
and>most Of the surrounding wall had
been destroyed. The central tower
had been battered but remained
standing. a@
There had been a great concrete
plinth nearby from which Benito
Mussolini once had made q speech.
I was told that a British sapper (en-
gineer) had blown 1t UP two nights
before because it was being used as
an observation post. The same man
the night before had blown a huge
hole in the Forst Capuzzo- Bardia
supply road by exploding $50 cap
tured Italian shells, 80 as to impede
trucks. n
When / left British tanks were
awaiting orders to dash in and try
to clean up the italian trucks,