Show Fleeing Italian Force Lost f S Scattered WITH THE BRITISH FORCES FORCES FORCES' NEAR CHEREN Eritrea Feb 5 Delayed The lP-The The The Italian garrison garrison garri garri- son of estimated at three and a half hall brigades which on Sunday attempted to slip away from encircling British forces after the British capture of that thai town appeared lost and dispersed d Wednesday in the wild of Eritrea T This ls fascist force which re retreated retreated re- re retreated treated s southeastward in an ef effort effort effort ef- ef fort to reach Adi and Asmara Asmara As As- As- As mara capital by way of Tokul and Pozzi di dl Tole used an unfinished road which disappears in wild uplands British air force scouts and machine machine machine ma ma- chine gun parties reported these I troops abandoned quantities of oi motor transport on the ro road d and appeared to have been scattered widely and so broken up that Italian officers would find it impossible impossible im im- Impossible Im- Im possible to reorganize them into military units for months Large numbers of white troops were reported surrendering freely in the area British officers regarded the forthcoming attack on Cheren a naturally strong defensive position position position tion as the crux of their campa campaign to seize this oldest of Italian colonies colonies colonies col col- onies from Premier Mussolini Its fall they said would mean the capture of Asmara the capital 45 miles distant in a short time |