Evening star., 1941-02-03


fronts against italian empire in
Africa. Action is in progress in
Ethiopia, Eritred and Italian
Somaliland as 1Uel as Libya.
By the Associated Press.
CAIRO, Egypt, Feb. 3-British
forces occupied Barentu, in Italian
Eritrea, yesterday after the town
had been abandoned by its defend
ers, British headquarters announced
today.
On the northern sector of the
Eritrean battle front, today's war
bulletin said, British forces pushing
beyond captured Agordat, about 40
miles north of Barentu, we're press
ing hard on the heels of Fascists
retreating toward Cheren.
Cheren is about ITO miles inside
Eritrea and so miles northwest of
Asmara. the Eritrean capital.
Farther south on the African
front South African forces were
reported to have pushed 10 rliles
inside Ethiopia from Kenya Colony
to occupy two Italian posts in the
Dukana area.
The pursuit of italians retreating
toward Gondar, in Ethiopia, was
declared to be continuing "aS a
result of which Italians have been
obliged to abandon and destroy
quantities of material and stores of
all kinds"
Still other British forces, the
general headquarters announcement
said, ARE extending and deepen
ing our penetration" into Italian
Somaliland.
Prepare to Attack Bengasi.
In North Africa the British said
the concentration of their forces
west of captured Derna was pro-
ceeding smoothly" y"-presumably in
preparation for an assault on Ben
gasi, capital of Eastern Libya.
(The Italian high command
yesterday reported hard fighting
around Agordat and the area to
the south, in which Fascist war
planes were said to have "partic-
ipated ceaSeleSsly'' with attacks.
on British ground forces. Action
in Llbya was limited largely to
aerial operations, the Italians
said.
(The Germans reported their
combat planes in the Mediter-
ranean on Saturday attacked
with great success" several har-
bors on the North African coast
serving as British supply bases.
Three merchant ships were said
to have been sunk and three
others damaged. The Italian
high command also reported that
on Friday German air units sank
a 10,000-ton ship in the port OF
Bardia, one of the Libyan strong
holds the British have won from
the Italians)
Capture of Agordat. where the
italians were said to have offered
stubborn resistance, placed the
British about 70 miles from Asmara
and 100 miles from Massaua, i'm
portant Red Sea port.
Hub of Highway Network.
Agordat 80 miles from the Brit
ish jumping-off point on the border
of the Anglo-Egyptian Sudan, is
linked with both Asmara and Mas
saua by rail. A town with normally
a population of about 1000, it also
is strategically important as the hub
of a network of motor highways
leading east, west, north and south.
A terrific aerial bombardment
paved the way for capture of the
town by British and Indian troops,
British reports said.
Military circles in Cairo said the
British progress from Agordat to-
ward the Red Sea might be slowed,
however, because of the hilly ter
rain, which lends itself readily to
defense.
Uprisings Aid Advance.
Additional prisoners were reported
taken by the British at Biacundi 10
miles east of the Sudanese frontier,
when it was captured from Italian
troops which previously had been
driven out of Uhn Hagar, near the
junction of the Sudanese Eritrean
and Ethiopian frontiers.
Uprisings of Ethiopian tribesmen
were said to be aiding the British
advance in that colony The main
British drive apparently was in the
region between Lake Tana and the
Eritrean frontier, where the Ital-
ians were said to be retreating along
the -Gondar road.
Bombers of the British South
African air force were reported ac-
tive in East Africa over the week
end, attacking concentrations of mo-
tor transport at Mega and Iavello,
airdromes at Zula and El Ghena