From Our Own Correspondent SARAGOSSA
With the occupation of Mora-de-Ebro, on Monday, the battle of the Ebro can now be said to be finished, in so far as the question of nullifying the effects of the Red offensive are concerned.
The Nationalist troops have completely reconquered the pocket of territory held by the Reds on the right bank of the Ebro, pushing back all those of the enemy who could escape on to the other side of the river, and taking many hundreds of prisoners.
Whether or not the Nationalist advance will now continue on this front towards Tarragona and Barcelona is a question on which a journalist writing from Spain cannot be tactless enough to express an opinion.
The advance last week has been extremely rapid, despite bad weather. Bad visibility during several days rendered difficult the collaboration of the air force.
Lorries of Prisoners
Driving towards the front one met, during the last few days, lorry-load after lorryload of prisoners being rushed to concentration camps in the rear. I lost count, but have the impression that there must have been between fifty or sixty lorries in only one convoy.
Each lorry contained at least thirty prisoners guarded by two armed sentinels. From some way off one can recognise them as being Reds, through the very perfect Fascist salute with which they greet everyone in sight. The Nationalists make it in a rather casual way, with a nonchalance that comes of its being no longer a novelty, whereas the prisoners seem to take real pains over getting the right angle to their arms.
Aeroplanes Brought Down The first four days of the previous week were marked by victories for the Nationalist air force, as the bad weather had not yet set in. During these four days, it is announced, sixty-two Red aeroplanes were brought down! Fourteen on the first two days, sixteen on the third, and eighteen on the fourth.
A large amount of war material has been captured on the Ebro front, and on Saturday four Russian tanks in perfect condition were taken.
The enemy, it is estimated in Nationalist circles, have lost since the beginning of the offensive not less than 100,000 men.