TOBRUK BANNERING TEMPORARILY EASIER

Auckland Star, Volume LXXII, Issue 107, 8 May 1941, Page 7

TOBRUK BANNERING TEMPORARILY EASIER

HUNS EXHAUSTED

Australians In Spirited

Counter-Attacks

I'niUil I'n-v Association. —•"■•l-vrisht. Rec. 12.30 p.m. LONDON". May 7. The German hammering of Tobruk has eased off. partly owing to a stifling sandstorm and partly by temporary exhaustion from last week's attacks. Dive-bombing has -slackened, although the Germans are still attacking shipping in the port and approaches. The garrison, which IS under the command of an Australian, General Morshead. consists chiefly of Australians, with some English and Indian troops. They are constantly counter-attacking the Germans. These attacks, together with shelling and bombing, are inflicting considerable losses on the enemy. The Germans bring up artillery and mortars at night, but the accuracy of their lire is unimpressive. The garrison remains confident. It includes some of the hardiest troops of the Army of the Nile, notably some Australian sappers, who walked :'.OO miles in 1(> days after escaping from the enemy, passing through his lines.

Patrols continue to harass thei Germans in the Solium region. Their success has forced the Germans to send out patrols to protect coastal forces. The Germans have found track-! driven armoured cars unsuitable for. prolonged desert operations, and arei gradually discarding some types of tanks in favour of heavy eightwheeled armoured cars, mounting a gun. A Cairo communique, quoted by British Official Wireless, says: "During the night of May 5-G our troops at Tobruk successfully attacked forward enemy posts, inflicting casualties and taking a number of prisoners. Yesterday communica- i tion and observation were again! made difficult by a severe sandstorm and further details are still lacking. "In Solium area our mechanised : forces continue vigorous patrolling activities." British Casualties in Greece Imperial casualties in Greece were' at the most n.500. of whom a large number were cut off -when re-' embarking, said Lord Moyne. leader of the House of Lords in the debate on the war situation, says a British Official Wireless message. A message has been received from a neutral correspondent in Yugoslavia who visited over 250 Anzac and British prisoners at Nish. says the British I'nited Press. All were well treated. Lord Moyne contrasted the Empire losses in Greece with the 200.000 prisoners taken in Northern Africa by General Sir Archibald Wavell's army in less than five months, and the grand total of 350.000 Italian and colonial troops lost in the whole African campaign.