The Waterbury Democrat., 1943-01-23
British Army Takes
 Tripoli After Fight
tcontinued from Page D

Tripoli from east and south," the communique said.
 Strong enemy rear guards at tempting to delay our forces were engaged and driven back.
 '~The full weight of our fighters and bombers was directed against the enemy transport columns with drawing westwards along the coastal road into Tunisia.
 Great damage was inflicted on excellent targets.
 Small shipping attempting to leave the harbor of zuara was at- tackled by our fighter -bombers and the vessels were damaged.
 Enemy air activity was not on large scale. Tn combats which de- veloped our fighters shot down three enemy fighters and damaged others.
 Moonlight attacks on the retreat ing enemy continued in force on the night of Jan. 21-22 and the land- ing ground at Ben Gardare (20 miles inside Tunisia) was also bombed.
 "Our intruders were active over Sicily on the same night and much damage was caused. The attacks were repeated yesterday and fur ther damage was inflicted on rail- road targets and EaTrage buildings.
 Long range fighters also operated yesterday and carried out a num- Der of attacks on small ships OH the coast of Turlisia.
 TWO of our planes are missing"
 It was indicated that already tank, armored car and motorized infantry were moving ahead on zuara. 70 miles along the 105-mile road which lay ahead of the battle-tanaed, desert-toughened empire troops.
 It was three months to the day since Montgomery had smashed the German line at Fl Alamei1 and started his 1,500 mile march.
 Among the blazing supply and arms dumps set aflre by the re- treating Germans and Italians in the Jewel city of the Italian empire, an estimated 10000 Italian colonists, herded westward as the Eighth Army advanced, awaited the British arrival along with civilian police and administrative officials.
 To the Italians had come the final humiliation, after seeing the fall of Tripoli, of accepting British char ity for their bread, and British pro- lection from the 100000 bitterly hos tile Arabs, whose land Mussolini had stolen and had slaughtered or put in concentration camps thousands of them.
 When Mussolini started to make of Tripoli an African Riviera" 6 monument to the castor-oil and stiletto Italian second empire, there were 1,5O0,O00 Arabs in the area.
 Aerial Attacks Heavy
 It was reported here that despite the heavy Allied aerial attacks on Tripoli, the bomber crews had stuck to military objectives and many or the fires blazing were set by the Germans trying to destroy every thing of value to the British.
 Hence 1t was believed that Gen. Sir Bernard Montgomery found the city proper, with its government palaces and expensive public build- ings, its modern shops, hotels and sea front promenade fairly intact
 Many of the Italians who lived in Tripoli had been taken home by ship or plane.
 Two days before his final drive started, Montgomery in one of the orders of the day which have helped | -witI1 fis victOries-to make him famous said:
 "Leading units of the Eighth Army are now only about 200 miles from Tripoli. The enemy Is between Us and that port, hoping to hold us of. The Eighth Army is going to Tripoli.
 "Tripoli is the only town in the Italian empire overseas still remain | ing in ther possession. Therefore we will take 1t from them. They will then have no overseas empire "If each one of us, whether front line soldier or off1cer, or man whose duty is performed in some othel sphere, puts his whole heart anc soul into this next contest ther nothing can stop us. =.
 "Nothing has stopped us since tht battle of Egypt began Oct. g, 1942 Nothing will stop us now. Somt must stay back to begin with but we will all be in the hunt even tually.
 con to Tripolil Our families ant friends in the home country wil be thrilled when they hear we have captured that place."
 When Montgomery started hi drive Oct. 8 the Germans wert hardly more than 60 miles from Al exandria.