WITHDRAWAL IN LIBYA

Ashburton Guardian, Volume 62, Issue 88, 24 January 1942, Page 5

WITHDRAWAL IN LIBYA

ENEMY REOCCUPIES AGEDABIA. EASTWARD MOVE CONTINUES. LONDON, January 23. To-day’s Cairo communique says that yesterday the enemy columns which began moving east in Libya on Wednesday continued their eastward movement, strongly supported by German and Italian aircraft. The British light forces withdrew oast of Agedabia, which has been reoccupied by the enemy. Agedabia is 75 miles north-east of El Agheila. Earlier, the correspondent of the “Daily Telegraph’’ with the Bth Army reported that the tank columns which General von Rommel liad sent out on a reconnaissance in force were again behind their defence lines. Light British forces harassed the enemy throughout the operation, the opposition being stronger than General von Rommel anticipated. The enemy also encountered heavy artillery fire. The German plan was believed to have been to disorganise the preparations which .the British commander (Lieutenant-General N. M. Ritchie) is making for the destruction of the enemy, and also to obtain information about the British dispositions. The fact that ground reconnaissance was attempted was described as a poor tribute to the reinforced Luftwaffe ’ in Africa.

The weather is proving a good ally to General von Rommel. A sandstorm has reduced visibility, and ceaseless'rain has put an almost impassible barrier of bogland between the rival forces. It was stated in London on Thursday that there was nothing to suggest that there was anything in the nature of an Axis counter-offensive in these moves. No reinforcements were known to have reached von Rommel, although some might have slipped across the Mediterranean.

Lieutenant-General Ritchie visited Lieutenant-General I. P. de Villiers, commander of the South African Forces, at Solium, and congratulated him and his men before leaving on a tou.r of the battlefields. LieutenantGeneral Ritchie was especially interested in the elaborate German defences at Halfaya Pass. He said that it was obvious that many lives would have been sacrificed if the South Africans had been obliged to take it by assault.