FRENCH AND INDIANS

Auckland Star, Volume LXXIII, Issue 135, 10 June 1942, Page 5

FRENCH AND INDIANS

Bir Hacheim Defends Attacks During Lull In Big Battle (United Press Association.—Copyright.— Rec. 1 p.m.) T j t r» London, June 9. D t vil'.°C»?M*™ lr .° C ° mn ; U , niqUe ind ' cato a temporary lull in .he

n • it , . . 5 Indians have warded off everv attack on B.r Hache.n* with the support of the R.A.F.. has rlceTved ihe warmest tributes in London. received the in* ° fth^. COm T UUniq U e ' S: "° ne of our c °lumns operat- \ enemy line of supply west of the Cauldron inflicted tZToTt H;V n i took t" Umb " °> pnsoner, A heavy attack on B,r Hache.m by tanks, infantry, artillery and dive bomber, was repulsed after fierce fighting Our ,i, force gave "T where""",'" ' an<l ' OrC "- " P " iaU * in Bi ' Hachrim area, where enemy concentrations were effectively attacked There was I,tlle act|V 'ty in the Knightsbridge area."

Shaded portion shows approximate locality of the present engagement. It s a touch and go battle in Libya," says the military correspondent of the Daily Express. "The army which comes out of it With the greatest number of heavy tanks will be the victor. This is a battle *of annihilation. It is now known that we did not get as far as might have been hoped in our counterattack which began on Friday against the German-held bulge covering the ten-mile minefield gap in the Gazala-Bir Hacheim line, but we succeeded in separating the panzers operating north of tHc bulge from those in the south, and that is a gain. » r I* seems that Rommel is relying on the Bth Army cracking before his own Afrika Korps, but the Germans have miscalculated this way before. The morale of our troops was never higher."

A message from Bir Hacheim to Cairo to-day stated: "The situation is not alarming while stocks can be replenished, as is still the case. Artillery fire is constantly directed against us, but our losses are not unduly heavy owing to our excellent protection. We are awaiting another heavy attack." The Free French later to-day beat off Bir Hacheim's tenth l 8 j j _T went y-nve Stuka# attacked at dawn, then guns bombarded Bir Hacheim, and At about 10 o clock this morning three battalions of infantry, mostly Italians, supported by tanks, got inside the minefield. The French artillery knocked out three tanks and lix vehicles, and the attackers withdrew.