Evening star., 1942-01-04
Night Bayonet Charge
Forced Surrender
OF Bardia Garrison
German Major General
Among 5000 Prisoners;
British1oss so Dead
BY the Associated Press.

By the Associated Press.
CAIRO, Egypt, Jan. "a daring
bayonet charge so powerful that the
holdout Axis garrison at Bardia sur
rendered rather than face a second
assault yielded the British more than
5000 prisoners-among them a Nazi
major general-and still uncounted
booty, it was announced officially
today.
= The assault cost the British I'm
perial forces only three score dead.
A communique telling the whole
dramatic story for the first time
said the fall yesterday of the Libyan
port, a pocket of Axis resistance iso-
lated by the British westward surge,
was the swift accomplishment Of
night-charging. bayonet-brandishing
South Africans supported by Brit
ish and Polish artillery, New Zea-
land cavalry and the bombs and
guns of Britain's air and sea fleets.
Main Axis Force at Agedabia.
While these forces, the slower NOV
ing rear guards of the British ad-
vance, were wiping out what might
have been an Axis version of Tobruk.
vanguards of the British advance
still were harasSing the main Axis
forces in the vicinity of Agedabia.
The war bulletin said one German
column. including some armored
cars. was put to flight in that area
about 80 miles beyond Bengasl, after
losing some of its mobile equipment
and two anti-tank guns. leaving
behind officers and As men.
The captured general was Maj.
Gen. Schmidt, chief administrative
staff officer of the German mech
anized African forces and apparent
" one of Nazi Gen. Erwin Rommel's
right-hand men.
CThe British official wireless
said that Gen. Schmidt was
taken prisoner with his entire
staff)~
Navy and r. A. F. Aid.
He was the fourth casualty among
the German top command to come
to British knowledge tn the Libyan
offensive. Another general, Won
Ravenstein, had been announced as
captured at Rezegh earlier in the
drive and the graves recently were
found at Derna Of two division COM
manders, Maj. Gems. Neumann-
Silkow and Suemmermann-
The smash into Bardia was de-
scribed in the war bulletin as
bold. skilfully organized attack" by
the 1st and Cd South African Divl-
sions. including the famed Kaftir
Rifles and Royal Durham Light In
fantry.
Rather than face a repetition"
It said, "the enemy decided to sur
render unconditionally.
The communique said the opera
ton was carried out while British
warships lying off the coast pounded
Axis forces and positions and the
R. A. F. made an invaluable con-
tribution" by flying incessantly In
the face of bad weather.
1,15O British Prisoners Freed.
The British rescued 1.150 of their
own men from Axis Imprisonment.
the communique disclosed, and lost
only so men killed and 300
wounded.
1t said the operation was carried
out so swiftly that the defenders
were unable to destroy much OF
their material and Notifications but
that there is no estimate yet Of the
booty.
Considerable damage by air at
tack on the Axis supply lines. in
Guiding a direct hit on an 800-ton
merchant ship in the Gulf of Sirte,
was credited to the r. A. F., and 10
serviceable tanks, abandoned in the
Axis flight from Cirenaica, were
said to have been discovered by
British mop-up forces.