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BATTLE OF TOBRUK
EIGHT-MILE ADVANCE
BRITISH FORCES SMASH THROUGH
DEFENCES
CLOSING ON THE TOWN
MANY PRISONERS TAKEN
The Battle of Tobruk was still raging yesterday with the British
and Imperial forces, including Australian troops, smashing their way
further through the defences of the Italian stronghold to the town itself.
The assault, which was delivered with great ferocity, was preceded
by heavy bombardment from land, sea and air.
Yesterday afternoon's communique from the British General
Headquarters in Cairo announced that by dusk on Tuesday the British
forces had penetrated the defences to a depth of eight miles and
firmly established themselves in positions directly overlooking and
within three miles of the town. Yesterday the operations were
again developing satisfactorily. It was earlier announced that many
prisoners had been taken and an Italian warship was ablaze.
The Acting-Prime Minister of Australia (Mr. Fadden) expressed
regret in Sydney last night that a premature official announcement
had been made yesterday of the fall of Tobruk. It was discovered
that the statement, which was made by the Minister for the Army
(Mr. Spender), was based by mistake on an unconfirmed report of a
wireless message intercepted by Army Intelligence.
LONDON, Jan. 22.— As the Battle of
Tobruk rages on the Libyan coast the
British and Imperial Army of the Nile,
including Australian forces, is driving
deeper and deeper into the defences of
the Italian stronghold and closing on
the town itself. The British Prime Min-
ister (Mr. Churchill) prefaced a state-
ment in the House of Commons yester-
day afternoon with the words: "It may
well be that while I am speaking Tobruk
is in our hands."
As already announced, the assault on
the besieged stronghold was launched at
dawn yesterday after intensive prelimin-
ary bombardment from land, sea and
air. As in the storming of Bardia all
three services are co-operating.
A special communique issued from the
British General Headquarters in Cairo
last night stated:—
Shortly after noon Imperial troops,
actively supported by the Royal Navy
and the Royal Air Force, successfully
penetrated both the outer and inner
defences of Tobruk to a depth of over
five miles on a broad front. The ad-
vance is continuing.
Many prisoners have already been
taken, including an Italian general.
The Italian cruiser San Giorgio, in
Tobruk harbour, is in flames, as also
are a number of dumps of stores, petrol
and the like.
This afternooh's G.H.Q. (Cairo) com-
munique is as follows:—
The British and Imperial Forces had
penetrated the defences of the Libyan
base of Tobruk to a depth of eight
miles by dusk yesterday and had firmly
established themselves in positions
directly overlooking and within three
miles of the town itself. Today opera-
tions are again developing satisfac-
torily.
[The San Giorgio, laid down in 1908
and completed as a cruiser, was recon-
structed as a coast defence ship shortly
before the war and completely modern-
ised. Her displacement is 9,232 tons and
her armament consists of four 10-inch
guns, eight 7.5-inch guns, eight 3.9-inch
guns and four anti-aircraft guns. The
San Giorgio suffered direct hits by bombs
in earlier R.A.F. raids on Tobruk and was
beached by the Italians to prevent her
sinking. Her guns are reported to have
been used in the defence of Tobruk.]
Story of the Assault.
The actual assault yesterday was
launched after a fortnight's patient wait-
ing in Libya's worst sandstorms for a
decade and during that period the Bri-
tish Commander-in-Chief (General Sir
Archibald Wavell) massed his troops and
supplies for the big offensive and care-
fully prepared the way. Within 12 hours
of the beginning of the attack the Bri-
tish and Imperial forces smashed their
way through the outer and inner defences.
During the previous night a heavy naval
bombardment was maintained in co-
operation with a series of fierce bombing
raids by the R.A.. and with the land
artillery. Many big fires were started in-
side the Italian defences.
It is reported from Cairo that when
the British troops charged through both
lines of the Tobruk defences they cut
off thousands of the defenders in places
inside the carefully-constructed defence
posts around the perimeter. The rapidity
and ingenuity of the attack again non-
plussed the Italians. Thrusts all around
the outer defences began the operation
and the Italians were completely mysti-
fied as to where the main assault was
likly to occur.
Then the main British force rolled up
and battered a way along the main road
from Bardia to Tobruk and penetrated
the defences to the crossroads inside the
perimeter, just outside the actual town.
The main objective was then another
crossroad and also an anti-aircraft post
further inside the defence area.
The main force was now well inside the
defences and the infantry was able to
wheel round and attack the occupants
of outer defences from the rear. Many
surrendered immediately they met the
British bayonets. The defence area
generally is somewhat flatter than at
Bardia, making the movements of me-
chanised forces easier. However, a series
of small ravines run inwards from the
beach and provide natural hide-outs for
the Italians. It is said that it might take
several days to mop them up.
Authoritative comment in London to-
day emphasises the strategic importance
of Tobruk, which in the first place rests
The different zones in North-East Africa where hostilities are in progress are illustrated on this map. The inset shows the area between Kassala and Agordat. q Help
The different zones in North-East Africa where hostilities are in
progress are illustrated on this map. The inset shows the area between
Kassala and Agordat.
on the fact that it is a really good natu-
ral harbour on a coast where harbours
are few. The harbour might prove use-
ful in moving such prisoners as might
fall into the hands of the British forces.
Tobruk lies astride one main road and
dominates another which runs parallel
to it 15 miles inland. The capture of
Tobruk should make it possible for the
Royal Air Force to use aerodromes west
of Tobruk which have been evacuated by
the Italians.
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