London, May 26, Another blow has been struck by Imperial troops at the remnants of Ttalian forces in Abyssinia, After three-day battle in the mountain= ous area north of Addis Ababa an Italian force of nearly 9,000 men has been forced. to surrender to British troops and Abyssinian Patriots, This enemy column had been hold. ing out in the mountains "northwest of the capital and had evaded capture since its fall, Several hundred civilians were found with them, Material captured included seven guns, Gen, Libereti, Commander of the Italian 25th Division and Gen, Bacearl, Commander of the 10isi Regiment, are included among the taken at Soddu on May 22, it is officially announced.
In the Magdala area, between Dessie and Gendar, patriots under British officers captured a force of 800 Italians, also on May 22.—Reuter, Enemy Bombed Cairo, May 26, Italian positions In Abyssinia were heavily bombed yesterday by both Free French and South African alr-
ment raft, according to an oficial state-'The French were especially active over the Gendar area, where Italian troops and the fort at Goang Goang were bombed.
'South African bombers and fighters successfully bombed and machinegunned Italian. positions and trans. ports at various points, scoring' direct hits on Italian anti-aircraft batteries on the river Amo, Reuter, naval battle of Matapan, by burling Fleet Air' Arm torpedo' bombers. the retreating German squadron which sank IMS, Hood, well informed sources here said' yesterday.
Torpedo bomber tactics were signed to slow down the German warships, including. the 30,000 ton Datileship Bismarck, it was sale.
British planes were scouring "a sew area covering hundreds of "miles trying to avenge the loss of the Hood, Dut informed quarters stressed. that the mists, which often blanket big areag of the North Atlantic, might enable the fleeing German ships to slip out of sight, particularly under cover of darkness.
Naval experts pointed out that the Hood. with a speed of 30 knots and armament consisting of eight 15-inch guns was the only British warship, with the exception of the King George V and Prince of Waley, capable of meeting either the Bismarck or Tixpitz at Toast on even terms...
The Renown and Furious were suf-faciently fast for the chase but were only comparatively lightly protected. and their armament was not equal to that of the crack German battleships—United Press.
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