Evening star., 1940-12-12
$4,000 Italians
MayBeTrapped,
Churchill Says
Capture of 10000
Claimed in Fascist
General Retreat
By the Associated Press.

By the Associated Press.
LONDON, Dec. 12-With the Brit
ish claiming more than 10000 pris-
oners and reports to London of a
general Italian retreat, Prime Min
lister Churchill told Commons today
it would not be surprising if at
least the best part of three italian
divisions were trapped in the Egyp-
tian desert.
A communique from Cairo said
''the latest estimate of prisoners
taken exceeds 10000 with tanks, guns
and equipment of all types"
Thus was summed up briefly the
British view of the results of the
four-day British offensive which
carried their mechanical forces to
the Mediterranean coast and into
the Italian base at Sidi Barrani, ad
vance Egyptian post of Marshal Ro-
dolfo Graziana's forces.
Mr.. Churchill, cheered wildly as
he spoke, said 1000 Italian prisoners
already had reached Matruh, the
British camp at the railhead of the
line running eastward across the
coast to Alexandria.
1T would not be surprising" he
said, IF numerous Blackshirt for
nations had either been destroyed
or captured
Pursue Italians West.
The Prime Minister said the Brit
ish were still pursuing the Italians
westward, with the Royal Air Force
supporting the attack and the navy
Shelling the principal road open to
the Fascist forces.
He observed that it was too early"
to measure the scale of British op-
erations, but said it was clear they
constitute a victory which, in this
African theater of war, is of the first
order"
The three Italian divisions to
which he referred may number from
AZ 900 to 81, 1000 men. There was be-
lieved to be between $4,000 and 1900
men in each Italian division.
Churchill patiently was pleased
by the British victory, which, he
said, had put the whole coastal re-
gion of Egypt with the exception
of one or two points holding out,
in the hands of the British and
imperial troops.
The whole episode must be
judged upon the background of the
fact that it is only three or four
months ago that our anxieties for
the defense of Egypt were acute
he said.
Fuller Statement Likely.
These anXietieS are now re-
moved and the British guarantee
and pledge that Egypt would ef1ec-
lively be defended against all corners
has been in every way made good.
Next week, he said, he might be
able to make a fuller statement
The Cairo communique said eight
Italian planes were shot down yes
terday, and "one unidentified air.
craft on the ground was destroyed.
One British plane failed to return
to its base, but another reported
missing Tuesday returned.
The aerial activity, the commu-
nique reported, was intense, the
R A F. bombing every Italian air.
drOme within range of their planes
and machine cunning black Shirted
troops in retreat. The Italians were
thrown into utter confusion" the
communique declared.
A Reuters. British news agency,
dispatch from Egypt said the latest
R. A F.. reconnaissance flight data
indicated a general Italian retreat
was developing.
A communioue from Cairo said
British advance troops were 'ln
contact with Italian forces which
are continuing their retreat west
ward"
(The Italian high command
reported fierce fighting in the
vicinity of Buqbuq 35 miles west
OF Sidi Barrani and halfway be-
tween that village and the Libyan
border)
$4,000 Prisoners Expected.
The British were reported to be
still bombing and machine-gunning
the Italians as they fell back from
Sidi Barrani, which fell to the
British yesterday after swift ad-
vance of their mechanical troops to
the coast.
Two divisional commanders and
the corps commander already have
been captured in Sidi Barrani, along
with large stocks of war materials"
it was said.
The Admiralty, meanwhile, an
nounced that the Royal Navy is
continually harassing Italian COM
munications" in an effort to "disor-
(See EGYPT, Page Aid