Evening star., 1941-02-02
R. A. F. Clears Path
For Army, Bombing
As Far As Tripo|i
Bengusi Plane Center
And Base at EI Gubbu
Are Targets in Attack
By the Associated Press.

By the Associated Press.
CAIRO, Egypt, Feb. IA violent
step-up in the tempo of British air
attacks in Libya was announced to-
day in the prelude to another grand
aSSault-aimed this time at Bengasi.
The area to Bengasi from fallen
Derna and far beyond-700 miles
within Libya to Tripoli-was the
theater of this new aerial offensive,
intended to clear the way for British
mechanical troops striking west
ward in their cars of steel and to
diSorganize the Italians far behind
their lines.
The Royal Air Force announced
that several" tons of bombs had
been loosed upon Tripoli, the capital
of Western Libya and vital COM
municationS center, and that hun
dreds' of bombs had fallen upon
BengaSi's air center, the long pun
ished airdrome at BARGE.
Ell Gubba Base Attacked.
Supporting the British advance,
the R. A. F. also attacked the Italian
air base of Ell Gubba on the plateau
25 miles southwest of Derna, where
pilots reported a large number of
Fascist vehicles were assembled.
All through the British march,
this kind of assault from the skies
has preceded the general attacks
by ground troopS-at Bardia, at
Tobruk, at Derna.
BARGE lies l20 miles west of Derna.
Tripoh is not only a major city in
all Libya-having population of
about l00,000-but stands near to
Tunisia, headquarters Of the rest
less and idle French imperial army
OF half a million men commanded by
Gen. Maxine Weygand.
In Tripoli, the British declared.
bombs hit three Italian ships in the
harbor, two of 5000 tons and the
third a 4,000-tonner. At least one
seaplane was declared destroyed
and others damaged. The docks
were hit and hangers were left
boiling in black smoke, the R. A. F.
said, and fires sprang up among the
Jetties and along the railway.
BARGE Bombed Squarely.
Barracks at the BARGE air base
were reported bombed squarely and
clusters of incendiaries fell with ex-
ploSlVeS upon hangers, buildings and
tents. Two grounded Italian air.
planes were declared to have been
set ablaze and another shot down
in action. Not single British loss
was acknowledged.
Along the roads leading toward
Bengasi there was fighting during
the day, the British command thus
putting it:
Contact with the enemy west of
Derna is being maintained"
Some 1000 miles to the southeast
the British reported that their
troops were driving on into Italian
Eritrea with intensified pressure and
that elsewhere on the East African
fronts there was no change"
Unofficial reports received here
said that in running engagements
toward Bengasi the Italians were
falling back before British light
tanks and that the main body of
British troops and artillery was mov-
ing up rapidly. .....
Eritrea Fighting Heavy.
The fighting in Eritrea, mean
while, was reported heavy, the Ital-
ians making determined effort to
halt the British thrust around
Agordat and Barentu. The towns,
which are but Is miles apart, have
been isolated by the British cutting
the road between them.
Less than two divisions of Italians
were understood to be attempting
to hold the area, although it was
said here that they might be REIN
forced from Asmara, the Eritrean
capital.
Agordat and Barentu have no
fixed defenses, but the Italians
were reported to have dug in for a
bitter struggle.
The British, having advanced
more than 100 miles in a week, we're
bringing up reinforcements from
Kassala before loosing the final as
sault.
The italian forces in all of East
Africa are believed by the British
to number between 2OO, 900 and $780,
600 of which less than $4,000 are
white troops, the bulk being native
conscripts.