AXIS CONFRONTED BY AWKWARD PROBLEM

Auckland Star, Volume LXXIII, Issue 307, 29 December 1942, Page 5

AXIS CONFRONTED BY AWKWARD PROBLEM

FLIGHT FROM LIBYA

Gap Between Allied Forces Only About 450 Miles

N.Z.P.A. and British Wireless Rec. noon. LONDON, Dec. 28. The enemy commander in Libya, it is thought in London, must be confronted with awkward problems. If he could get his forces into Tunisia largely intact he would bring valuable reinforcements to his colleague there. On the other hand, if to do this he retired from Tripoli quickly, the Eighth Army would be able to advance quickly, and that would mean, among other things, that the enemy army in Tunisia would be under heavy pressure from east and south, as well as west.

Again, if Rommel went right back to Tunisia, he would give up Tripoli, the only port in that part of the coast. Yet, if he delayed in any way, he would suffer losses and might find it difficult to extricate himself when it became necessary. With the arrival at Wadi Bei el Kebir, the Eighth Army has covered more than half the distance to Tripoli from Mersa Berga, where the present advance began. All this stretch has been desert, but the remaining 190 miles is well watered, especially beyond Misurata, 85 miles ahead.

The gap between the Allied forces at either end of the Mediterranean is narrowed to about 450 miles and El Alamein is now left nearly 800 miles behind.

On the other side of the gap the stage is set for the next phase of the fighting, in Tunisia, which is increasing as the larger forces are being brought up. A daring British battery attached to the New Zealanders provided a remarkable incident in the recent advance across the desert to Marble Arch, says the British Official Wireless. The battery took up a position from which it could shell enemy transport fleeing to the west along the road and did not realise that at the time behind this transport there was a strong panzer rearguard also attempting to break out to the west. The next day, however, when the

British were moving along a deep' wadi there suddenly came into view 25 German tanks, with guns in their rear, moving right across the path of advance. The British gunners opened fire, and once the enemy manoeuvred around behind them as if to hem them in. Axis Tank Crews Battened Down The first British troops directed fire so as to keep the enemy tank crews battened down inside their turrets, while the second troop pushed on to the south-west and went into action. The first troop thereupon limbered up and leapfrogged the second, and so the running fight went on for 10 miles.

The enemy tanks came in closer, some even as near as 400 yards, and the fight moved further and further to the south-wast, drawing ever nearer to the main British forces, until at last the 25 German tanks broke off the engagement. The battery rejoined its regiment, having suffered only light casualties.