Evening star., 1941-01-05
Bordio Defenses Fo||inq Fast
Under Mighty British Blows;
Fleet Si|ences Guns at Base
Australians Chief
Reported to Have
Entered Town
HS the Associated Press.


CAIRO. Egypt, Jan. 4-Bardia' :;
defenses were reported falling fast
today under the mighty shock OF
every weapon in the British arSena
--warshipS, dive bomberS. artillery
tanks. grenades-and British mill
tary headquarters declared it was
all up with that Italian Libyan port
and base.
While the British attack went on
to Subdue the last ounce OF resist
ance, it was stated that nearly hall
of the arc of concrete. stone and
steel defending the town already had
been taken. along with a fourth TO
a third of the estimated 10000 FaS-
cist troops beleaguered there Tor
l9 days.
More Than 5000 Taken.
"Over 5000 prisoners are now in
our hands" said a terse general
headquarters Communique today. II
reported merely that "operatiOns are
proceeding satisfactorily. The only
hone left TO the remaining Italians,
the British said, was to surrender
now
Mai. Gen. Mackay COM
mander of Australia's forces in
the British army, was reported
officially to have entered Bardla
with his men and taken the prls-
oners. The report was from
Australian Army Minister Percy
Spender, who Is in Afrlca)
In some instances even the tombs
of the African ancients were re-
ported to be serving as shelters for
the Italian defenders.
This second day of the general as
sault upon Bardia, a town l5 miles
from the Egyptian frontier, from
which the invading Fascists had
been driven back in the earlier
phases of the British desert often
sive. was one of immense and or
dered violence.
Bombers Keep Up Attack.
From the nearby Mediterranean
British warships heavily bombarded
the smoky town for hours and over
head British bombeyS kept up in
termittent attacks which the Royal
Air Force said already had streWn
tons of bombs upon Bardia-and
upon Tobruk. 65 miles to the west
and the next major Italian-Libyan
position. The road of retreat thus
was under fire.
Later the feet itself. its officers
apparently satisfied that the fall of
Bardia had been assured and that
the rest could be left to the army
and air force. moved away from
Bardia to resume the hunt for
Italian UarshipS and supply vessels
All this fleet and air action was
in support of the British field forces
led by Australians in armored
vehicles, preceded by tanks. which
smashed through the barbed wire
entaglements before the Italian po-
sitionS.
Break Through Miles Wide.
BY late Yesterday. the British said
In a communique. these troops had
broken through the center defenSeS
of Bardia to a depth of miles along
a 9-mile front. This action, said
reports here. was made possible by
two quick blows, first from the
southwest and then from the south,
which cut off strings of Italian pill
boxes and broke the defending lines
Every sort of fighting from big
gun action down to the bayonet
charge and the hurting of hand
grenadeS-Was involved
In London military circles said
the Italians were in a position
where to go on holding out was
possibly gallant, but not usefulD
The R. A. F's daily communique
describing big raids upon Bardia
and on Tobruk where fires
and explosions were reported-an-
nounced the destruction of seven
Italian planes to one British
bomoef.
In Rome, foreign circles specu-
lated that the British we're attempt
ing to crush the italians utterly at
Bardia before German air corps
could be bought into the battle in
full force.
The Rome newspaper La Tribuna
spoke of "a final clash" The Ital-
ians we're declared officially to be
"fercely resisting"
$4,000 Seen Lost by Italy.
Military observers here already
are computing the consequences of
the imminent fall of Bardia as
meaning that Marshal Rodolfo
Grazlani will have lost some $4,000
OF the estimated 25O.0OO men whom
he had at one time in Libya and
Egypt.
They reckon it this way:
Italians imprisoned in the De-
cember battles At Sidi Barrani,
Salum and in the western desert !.