Evening star., 1940-12-17
3 More Italian Forts
aiken by British in
Advance Into Libyo
Drive on Burdiu Is
intensified; Fresh
Troops Aid in Push
BY the Associated Press.

CAIRO, Egypt, Dec 17.-Three
more italian forts have fallen to the
British, who, with fresh reinforce
ments, are driving on the important
Libyan port of Bardia with steadily
increasing pressure" general
headquarters communique reported
today.
The three forts-Musaid, Sidi
Omar and Shefferzan-are just west
of the Egyptian-Libyan frontier.
The British gained their first foot
hold on italian colonial soil by TAX
ing Fort Capuzzo and now are
sweeping west over the Libyan Des-
est in an attempt to encircle Bardia
with motorized units.
Australian troops were said to have
captured Italian trucks and a gun
in moonlit battle last night. A
eommunique reported renewed often
sive patrolling "on considerable
scale" on the Kenya frontier in East
Africa.
Planes Reported Captured.
The Royal Air Force Near East
command reported also that the
British had captured Is damaged
Italian airplanes on bases near
Salum and had shot down 10 others
yesterday.
All Italian airdromes between the
Libyan ports of Tobruk and Bardia
were bombed heavily Yesterday its
communique said. and an "inten-
sive raid" was made on Bardia last
night.
With the fall of Fort Capuzzo, the
British announced recapture of
Salum. last Italian stronghold on
Egyptian soil.
Fort Capuzzo's capitulation left
the British in control of a vital
highway terminus II miles due south
of Bardia and apparently in position
for an attempt to outdank that base.
Bardia holds the key to the coastal
road leading westward to Tobruk,
approximately 10 miles inside the
Libyan border and the springboard
from which Marshal Rodolfo Grazi-
ani's armies launched their drive
into Egypt last September.
Heavy Bombardment.
lIlc oIlllSil navy anu AL VI &c
were reported to be keeping Bardia
under heavy bombardment. appar-
emily to soften italian resistance to
attack on the land side.
Can Italian high command
communique at Rome said Ital-
ian torpedo-la Launching planes
hit a 6.000-ton British cruiser
with two torpedoes while the
warship was Smelling Bardia)
Military sources here said there
was little obvious opposition to the
British Nays control of the entire
Libyan coast from the Egyptian
border to Tripoli, 700 miles to the
west.
The communiqIe announcing the
fall of Fort Capuzzo and Salum
gave no details of the operations
except to say "a number" of italian
aircraft had been seized at Salum.
Long Haul Eliminated.
Militarymen mere pointed out the
capture of Salum. on the coast about
miles from the Libyan border,
would enable the British to move
troops and supplies to the front by
sea, thereby eliminating long
haul across the desert.
These sources believed it unlikely
that lengthening lines of conmuni-
cation would prove enough of an
obstacle to prevent Gen. Sir Archi-
bald P. Wavell. British Near East
commander, from continuing his
westward drive.
Reports from the front indicated
sharp fighting had preceded the fall
of Salum and Fort Capuzzo, which
is about 3 miles inside the Lib
yam frontier. The Italians, in
trenched strongly at both points,
were said to have resisted fiercely
before they were overwhelmed by
British mechanical forces and in
fantry
While the battle surged around
these two key points, British arm
ored units were reported to have
made series of swift thrusts into
the surrounding territory, harassing
| Italian lines of communication.
The fact that the British reported
| capturing number of grounded
Italian aircraft at Salum was taken
here as an indication that Marshal
Grazianis forces were disorganized
badly under the steady pounding of
the last week.
There was no official mention Of
the capture of additional Italian
prisoners to swell the total of about
10000 the British estimated they
had taken from the outset of their
offensive through the fall of Sidi
Barrani
Although the Italians we're report
ed to have had about 25O,OO0 men
(See EGYPT, Page AID