London, May 30.
In Abyssinia, the Italians have evacuated Debarech. some 50 miles north of Gendar on the road to Adowa, and are' now' retreating towards Gendar. There is a prospect of the Italians at Gendar being hemmed in. as British and Patriot forces hold Chelga in the west, Lake Tana in the south, Debra Tabor in the south-east, and now Debarech in the north. Most of the troops attacking in this area are Patriot forces under British officers.
It is estimated that there are some 17,000 Italians in Gendar.
Mopping-up operations are continuing in the Lakes district south of Addis Ababa. and Patriot forces report that the entire area from Soddu to a point 70 miles to the north is now clear of the enemy.
A small advance which the British forces made at Tobruk was a minor operation to straighten out a dent made in the western defences when the Germans attacked some time ago.
In the Sollum area, only patrol activity is going on.—Reuter.
Text read from the printed page and cleaned; old type leaves the occasional error.