Looking back on the whole Libyan campaign, it is clear that British tanks played an astonishing role, charging forwards hundreds of miles and taki: g one point after another completely by surprise.
In the case of Libya the British advance has been carried out not only by the coast roads. but also by an interior road running clear across: Cyrenaica behind a mountain range.
The capture of Benghazi was an other master stroke of strategy comparable with the capture of Sidi Bar-rani. The Ttalians had expected ar attack along the coastal roads through most difficult country, Instead, British armoured troops swept across 130 miles of barren and waterless desert from El Mechili. along tracks orly used by an occu sional caravan, to attack Benghazi from the east, appearing like a bolt from out of the desert blue long be" fore the Italians anticipated an attack.—Reuter, 30 Years' Rule Ended Cairo, Feb. 8.
With the capture of Benghazi. the whole of Cyrenaica, apart from a few isolated posts south of Bezghazs, is now in British hands. the military Vast Area Now in British Hands The above map shows the vast area which has been taken by the British Imperial Forces since they began their drive into Cyrenaica after the capture of Sidi Barrani two months ago, Position after position has fallen before the swift onslaught directed by General Wanell, British Commander-in-Chiej of Middle East Forces, culminating in surrender on Thursday of Benghazi, Marshal Groziani's last and most important base in Cyrenaica, Driving relentlessly forward, British mechanized units yesterday were reported to have advanced beyond Benghazi in two columns, one mone the coastal road, and the other overland, Africa's youngest soldiers, formed since the outbreak of war.
After preliminary skirmishes, the trenches, rock pill-boxes and the guns pounded the Italians in their fort. The position was then carried by a swift and intensive onslaught.
Gorai is an extinct volcano containing sulphurous water, which is stratetically important in an almost waterless region.—Reuter,
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