Italians Believed to Have. Been Taken by Surprise By Shock Drive; R.A.F. Offensive Cairo, Jan. 4.
final assault on Bardia, Italian outpost in north-eastern Libya, has begun after an 18-day siege, official circles said tonight.
"Bardia's fate is about to be sealed," one official declared.
Led by heavy tanks which smashed the Italian outer defences, Australian forces swept back the enemy in the south-west sector of the town's defences, it was stated. Many Italians were killed and captured.
Advancing Greeks encountered fierce resistance from Italian machine-gun nests in the Lungara Mountains. The Greeks continued to advance after hand-to-hand fighting and captured the village of Gjormi, reports declared.
In that attack, the Greeks captured fan Mahan major, five sub-oticers and 562 soldiers, two field-guns, seven machine-guns and several trench mortars, the reports said. 'This Greek column' was 25 kilometers south of the southern Albanian harbour oily of Valona, reports declared.
Another Greek column had ad-vaneed along the Susiea River Valley in the face of fierce Italian resistance to a point 12 kilometres south-east of Valona, it was learned—United The attack was a continuance of the general advance mentioned "in yesterday's official: war communique, Which stated that a strong force of Australians had driven a wedge into the heavily, fortified lines.
'OMelals declared the Italians were
Leen Ted to believe that the attack taken by surprise, since they, had Would come from: due west, where the British bombing and. artillery bombardment had been concentrated for several days.
The Italians accordingly moved troops and defence material to that sector, the officials said.
'The Royal Air Fore' communique said' that throughout Thursday and the previous night Bardia had been subjected to one of the heaviest air attacks yet carried out in the Middle East.
'The RAF. also twice raided 'Tripoli harbour on 'Thursday night, the communique announced. Bombs straddled five cruisers moored in the harbour and several' fires were started near seaplane hangars."
"Bombs hit a customs jetty and also one ship during the first attack. During the second raid direct hits were registered on the customs Jetty, causing five fires and three explosion probably on ships moored alongside.
"Two large motor vessels wore hit, with clouds of heavy smoke result ing. The fires were visible for more than 60 miles."—United Press.
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