ENEMY MECHANISED FORCES IN BARDIA.

Auckland Star, Volume LXXII, Issue 87, 14 April 1941, Page 7

ENEMY MECHANISED FORCES IN BARDIA.

MIDDLE EAST WAR.

British Reinforcements

Increasing.

I niteil Press Association.—Copyright

(Reed. ] P.m.i

CAIRO, April l.'S

A fierinan - Italian mechanised column yesterday occupied Bardia, after a detour round Tobruk. The British had previously evacuated Bardia. and fighting is now proceeding near Solium.

Fijahting going on in tile Tohruk a rea "where the Brit ish forces. it is believed. .-ire not surrounded ami isolated. Tt is possible for a mechanised I'oluniii to make contact with them ii'.-nv-s the desert.

It is believed that the Herman mechanii-ed units ale receiving petrol supplies 1»v air.

Germans Repulsed. The flermans are reported to have launched an nttack against Tobruk. which was repulsed. The British still hold the town.

More British troops are daily becoming available in the western desert, and the situation, from the viewpoint of manpower, i- considerably better than it was a week ago. •

A British Official Wireless message quotes a War Oflice communique stating that skirmishing is taking place and that there have been encounters with enemy mobile troojx in the area of (Jazal.i el Adem. Toliruk and Bardia.

The Italians hud previously claimed to have surrounded the British forces at Tobruk.

R.A.F. Successes.

An R.A.F. Middle Kast communique, according to British Official Wireless, states that lighters mid bomliers continued harassing attacks on enemy aerodromes, motor transport and pc*»itions in Cyrcnaica yesterday and throughout the previous night. A number of enemy tanks and other vehicles, formed up for an attack near Tobruk. were repeatedly bombed. They were dispersed bv our aircraft and many vehicles damaged or destroved.

Fighters also machine-gunned and damaged enemy motor transport in the I Ja/.ala area. During the previous night our bombers, madti several attacks 011 targets in the same area.

The aerodrome at (la/aln was lieavilv and successfully Itonihed. An ammunition dump near the binding' ground, where fires and explosions were caused, and motor transport in South (.'azaia, on which direct hits were registered were anions oilier objectives bombed.

Amazing Two Days. Tn (yrenaica .'!•"> enemy aeroplanehave been destroyed in Tlie pa-t two days. including 1(1 Me-ser-chmitts destroyed on the ground at Derna. said an earlier cable.

An Australian j.ilot ha- recounted details of an amazing two davs when "22 German aircraft were destroved for the loss of one Hurricane. (In the first day 20 German dive-bombers and their escorts were routed by a Hurricane, and five Junkers and three Mc-ser-chmht - were destroyed in a .-ombat full of dramatic incident. Tin- next day uneven more disastrous for the eiiemv. 14 (■erinan dive-bombers, whicli ventured out unescorted, being -hot down InBritish fighters. '

A message from Cairo stated that Sir Miles J.ampson. Britisii Amba-sador to Egypt, after informing Hussein Sirrv Pasha, the Prime Minister, of latent developments, declared that the situation in Libya was verv good. Hussein Sirrv Tasha also seemed in high spirit. l -.