AXIS BUILDS ROAD TO BY-PUSS TOPRUK

Auckland Star, Volume LXXII, Issue 192, 15 August 1941, Page 8

AXIS BUILDS ROAD TO BY-PUSS TOPRUK

NEW DEFENSIVE ARC

Hope Of Conquering Fort

Abandoned

U.P.A. and British Wireless. Rec. noon. LONDON, Aug. 14. The Germans have apparently abandoned hope of reducing Tobruk by force and have built an expensive by-pass road to carry supplies to the Egyptian frontier, savs a Reuter's correspondent with the advanced units in the Western Desert. The Germans hope to starve out Tobruk. Rig guns are being used in conjunction with large bomber forces in an attempt to paralyse British shipping in the harbour.

There is no sign at present that the enemy intends to break the lull in the desert, but forward British troops continue to scour the blazing, barren table-lands harrying Axis forces day and night. Patrols bring in a steady flow of Italian and German prisoners. Italians now outnumber Germans in the frontier areas.

The combined Axis forces have completed defensive positions in a great arc stretching 30 miles from Hel'fire Pass across the frontier to a point south-west of Fort Capuzzo. The positions are mainly trenches and camouflaged anti-tank nests. The Germans have copied the British composite columns consisting of infantry in lorries and highly mobile guns. To the Italians is allotted the less arduous task of manning the prepared positions, but they are not entrusted with the difficult job of holding the busy sailent in the southwest corner of Tobruk defences. The hopes of reducing Tobruk appear slight.

Large fighter formations prevent Axis planes from disrupting shipping. Pilots bemoan the fact that so far they have not succeeded in bringing raiding planes to a largescale action. Generally the enemy seems to be concentrating entirely on defence and face daily increasing problems.

R.A.F.'s Offensive Sweeps The R.A.F. Middle East communique states that R.A.F. bombers carried out attacks on Bardia during the night of August 12-13. Direct hits were obtained on the Customs house, motor transport and workshops. Enemy night fighters were seen, but did not intercept. Bombs were •dropped at Derna.

During the same night heavy bombers of the R.A.F. carried out an attack on military objectives at Tripoli. The railway station was destroyed by our bombs, and a number of fires were started. Other targets were motor transport on the coast road to Bengasi, which were also machine-gunned.

The Fleet Air Arm aircraft dropped bombs on the aerodromes of Catania and Gerbini in Sicily and machine-gunned and dispersed aircraft. One Cantz 506 was shot down by Hurricanes off Sicily on Sunday. From all these operations our planes returned safely.