SMASHING BLOWS ON LIBYA FRONT

Auckland Star, Volume LXXII, Issue 120, 23 May 1941, Page 7

SMASHING BLOWS ON LIBYA FRONT

DESERT WARFARE R.A.F. Unloosing Most Intensive Effort United Tress Association.— Copyright. Rec. 1.30 p.m. LONDON". Ma> 22. The R.A.F. is unloosing it<= mn.«t intensive efTort. since the hecinnine of the desert war. against German concentrations and trnn«pnrt columns at Cyrrnaica. savs the correspondent of the Associated Press of Great Britain in the Western Desert. During the last 30 hours eight German planes have been riest roved and scores of vehicles set on tire. Ammunition and petrol dumps have been blown up. To meet the British air offensive the Germans are stationing tanks at regular intervals alone the roads and trails in order to combat ]o\vnving and attacking planes. \ considerable German force, emiioped with 2000 vehicles, is concentrated in the Capuzzo-Bardia area, but there is no indication that -an immediate enemy offensive has been planned. This concentration has been the main target of British air attacks. British air losses so far are extremely light. Pilots concede that German anti-aircraft fire is .superior to Italian and is improving. Air observers report seeing enemy troops in the desert clad in khaki instead of the usual grey-green. In the Pollum area tb<? enemy was engaged by our artillery <>n the morning of May 20 a few miles south-west <if Musaid. says the British Official Wireless. Casualties were inflicted on them and their tanks withdrew.