HEAVY FIGHTING NEAR SYRIAN CAPITAL.

Auckland Star, Volume LXXII, Issue 145, 21 June 1941, Page 7

HEAVY FIGHTING NEAR SYRIAN CAPITAL.

INDIANS ADVANCE

Stiff Resistance Offered By Vichy Forces 1 '' A. unri British Wireless. ReC ' 1 Pm " LONDON, June 20. reports a 'tha° I '|n P °7nrt" t ir L Syria advancing m namai^'• bri Sade, splendid pvosress dli makin S strong resist nVt despite very taming thefr ?o™n« ,!S c ,', Udlnß - AustfalfaA?: comin r> up the main road which forces ° W ° mirely frcc Vichy A Free French attack at dawn this to°'lead S th ° Damascu s road failed bv the v,^" y progress. Attempts .> tne \ ich> forces to advanoo against the Allies' strongly held posi uons on both sides of the rold were ?hort VC h,'.t' tf Cke n The battle wa * \ve - hr T°- , reo Fr °nch losses ,- J lO ; lx >- Lighter encounters con tinned t brought, ut the morning, with no resultant change in the positions. On the coastal sector activity was French* t0 pa,ro!s - T he Vichv 't "i cre "gating with strong sfrlnn 7"rT' 1C m ° ,o nsed—to north ol Sidon, while at Gezzme artillery was in action all day. There are indications that at Gezzine the Vichv sive PS W,U launch their next offeri-

, Australians have gained a foothold in the town of Merjiyun Apart from the casualties of the Free 1 , ; e , n ( ch t,ie Allied casualties are si ignt. Struggle in Terrific Heat A Vichy message from Beirut claims that British artillery is shelling the Moslem quarter of Damascus, and that the auth6rities have protested to the Iraqi and Saud-Arabian consuls, drawing attention to the fact that Damascus is "the second most important city in the Islam world." It is recalled in London that the French themselves shelled Damascus in 1925, destroying a famous Moslem palace. The Allies are now attacking the oasis of Guta, on which Damascus is situated. Fighting is going on in terrible heat, and meanwhile the British fleet is pounding the Vichy troops' positions between Sidon and Damotir. Violent fighting is reported in the Elkuneitra and Dera sectors. The Australians have re-occupied part of Merjiyun. The necessity of relieving Merjiyun has held up their advance along the coast. French Destroyers' Moves The British United Press correspondent with the British on the Lebanese coast says three large and fast French destroyers are playing cat and mouse with substantial British naval forces. The destroyers were apparently ordered to locate the Australian field artillery by drawing their fire. They darted inshore firing quick salvoes, but brisk Australian machine-gun fire was the only answer. It was sufficient, however, to persuade the destroyers to put up a smoke screen and hastily retire to Beirut. The British Navy continues to hammer the Vichy positions regardless of attacks from German divebombers. The warships so far have suffered only negligible damage, despite many near misses from 10001b bombs. The prisoners taken at Sidon included members of the Spanish International Brigade. Stiff resistance in Syria is reported in the Cairo communique, which states that on all fronts fighting is continuing. In the coastal area the Australians are slowly advancing in the face of stiff resistance. South of Damascus the Free French forces met a determined counter - attack by numerically superior Vichy troops, but are holding their ground. British and Indian troops in this area made further local advances. The situation at Merjiyun has not yet been fully cleared up, and heavy "fighting is in progress. In other areas local advances have been made despite continued resistance by Vichy troops