EGYPT'S CONFIDENCE IN BRITISH ARMY.

Auckland Star, Volume LXXII, Issue 86, 12 April 1941, Page 7

EGYPT'S CONFIDENCE IN BRITISH ARMY.

| LI BY AS CAMPAIGN

Steady Strengthening Of Forces. IT— \ „1 - > r illl, • ]' Hi. I I.< i\ 111 i\ . AI. i . I 1 !. Ha--i;n >mvv Pa-ha. P: me M nu-it-r <>1 l-.yyjil. 'when interviewed in <'air... Ninl: -iir.ti-h t,,rce- me daily arriMn;- in the Western ]>e-ert. in -leadily unTPij-uiir number.. Mini w M lil<*r scale. T'i |>eat lhe '•rllll-Ii:I Met,.j-m- it; Ka-t Africa" " *" !r Mile- l,anij.«..n. tin- IS-'ti-h \ "....« :t, 1.11. 11 ! ~ nii' a mi' 1 '' 111 J " - I'ii'lllU- t1,,. ]|iilita!\ i-.111.i----turn. 1 :<-> flit o-ni- .! I n.>l lake u- In -mtui-.-. I li.f.c i . .i.lv M'lii.,' ""'ll' 1 ;in ,i lin , M ll( , , v 1•• Jiff. 1 111- -lav e-1 -:i lIMI it nt. I * mum.in,l ha- ilia :ntainetl i in* \tm\ ill the Wc-telll 1 >t' •I I illl.ltl. • U " 1 ' < ••lrn.Vt.-lt t t.n!i.|t-,n ..f the ttint-t.iii,. 1 .It . .1111]. a i'jn now ic-uni-ill:'. " Enemy Plants Shot Down. l>erna -IV 1 leinl.t U 11l an.] tn„ lilii.lt-iilili.tl ai i • Ia ft ■>n 1 in- jmhiiihl «,•!,. <le-t Iti\ f(J h\ tiiio 1 r ""-- !ii lli<- -a li it* area a .ItinLfi. .~,J u -'"'1 ilt.wii in \,.j( r T.ilijul; a Mi- t-i -rhniil t llil .),,,1 ].y Ihe -aim- MjiiaiJrttii.

Motor Iran-port was machine punned 1" 111.- area and », 1,-.,., e^ln <*n<-my a rnioured tehickv w ere <1. ,-t ro\~cd. More enemy t ran-port s were v iped'olll in the Acroma area. Our 1.,.m1.<-r- on r- ' ic<] out many i-ortie- and cmw.d much <J.nna izr.

" In Al.ys—inia. aircraft of Ihe Soul h Atrjcan Air 1", continued hala — 1)10 ret real iii« enemy. Kr.uu all thr-e o]>crat ion- our aircraft returned -afelv except two lij.hl.-r- in < vreTiaica, The pilot- of both are believed 1., b r - ;) f,.."

In t yrenaica our aircraft continue 1 ... at tack TOM-lc-s]y enemy troop conVT! 1 ' ra f'<•_"* "'id aerodrimic-." savs the li.idle ka-t K.A.K. communique quoted ".v a British Official Wircle-s message.

An intimation that it had liei-a ncee--fary 1o lirin« l,ack to K-ypt a section of the Briti-h l-.vpedit ionarv Force sejit t<. Greece in order to assist 'in repelling Ihe • •crnian and Italian advance in Libva "as -iven by Mr. Cyril Lakin in a con, incut ary from Daventry. Mr. Lakin said that. l.ut for the combined Cerman ami Italian advance in Libya ihe British forces in (;recce would 1«. larger. A considerable )>ody of 1 rooj.s had had to i.e sent back to help in dealing with this new menace. According to an earlier annouu.-e----mem from the War Office. quoted in a British Official Wireless mc-sayp : "The Biitish forces east of Bengasi are concentrated in an area more adapted to tuture operations. In the course of the recent withdrawal, extending over a period of several days, we inflicted consideral.le casualties on the eneinv.

"We lost a number of prisoners and We are without news <,f three senior officers. Lieutenant-General P. Xeame, \.C.. Lieutenant General Sir Picliarl O ( oniior. and Major General M. 11. '•anibier Parry. The Germans claim in a communique that they have captured 2000 prisoners. This fijrure would not be impossible under ihe conditions in which encounters have been taking place.'"

Lieutenant-General O'Connor, who is aged ~]. ji]ayo<] a brillianl part in tHe successful British operations in the Wo-tern De-crt. ami last month w„„ awarded the K.( .B. for his services. Tie -hared 1 Ik- re-pon-ihilily for the careful planning of the ojierations in Libva ami the C(mimai]<l of lhe force- which effect tyl Their daring an<l successful execution la-t Deccmlier.

Lieutenant-General Veanic. who is aNo aged gained the Victoria Cro at Nenvc t happcle in 1914 for holdinghack Ihe enemy in spite of heavy title lire and l«onili throning and rescuing all the wounded who could In* moved. Since the lf«-l war he had been an in-tructor at the Staff < ollcge and commandalit of the Koval Military Acadomv. Major- < ."eiiera 1 Ga mbier-I'arry j- a tank expert..

The "<;iornale d'ltalia" claims tliat I'.ihan force-, aided by 'icrman-. on

Tuc -day arrived l.efore J obruk. A Berlin communique claims the capture of Mckili. in Libya, and that litwtfl prisoner* including six general-, were taken.