LATEST WAR NEWS

Bay of Plenty Times, Volume LXX, Issue 13670, 18 June 1942, Page 5

LATEST WAR NEWS

The following is a summary of the latest war news: LIBYAN CAMPAIGN General Ritchie’s forces are stubbornly resisting all Axis attacks to the south, of Tobruk. The three main positions are holding all enemy assaults. The German tank column which was thrusting towards Sidi Rezegh consisted of 30 tanks. Ten of these Avcte destroyed by our fighter-bombers which broke up the column. There has been no further serious change in the situation.. MEDITERRANEAN BATTLE A U.S. officer in a description of the battle said Ins Liberator bombers began the attack early on Monday morning Avlicn they took the enemy completely by surprise. They saw tA\o Italian battleships as wide silver streaks on the sea below, Avith their accompanying destroyers. Botli battleships got direct hits. After the R.A.P. torpedo bombers joined in the attack the Italain fleet broke up. The Italians are still making fantastic claims about the losses inflicted on our forces. CHINA The Japanese efforts to sever road and rail communication betAveen Chekiang and Kiangsi are making progress. The fall of Shangyo is announced in earlier reports though later messages state that this town is still partly in Chinese hands. NEW GUINEA AREA The Japanese bases at Lae and Salainaua have received the biggest trouncing since the Coral Sea battle. Hundreds of bombs fell on Lac alone. At Salainaua enormous fires completely coA T ered the target area. Our bombers Avent in in relays and the enemy fighters completely failed to intercept them. RUSSIA Axis attacks on Sebastopol grOAV daily more desperate. The enemy made six attacks in 24 hours on a highroad at the approaches to Sebastopol. Tanks Avere used and all the attacks Avere stemmed by So\-iet rifle units. In the opening stages of the present battle the Germans used mainly artillery and planes, but have iioa\ t resorted to tanks. The Russian artillery, lioaa - eA'er, stops all German tanks in their tracks, using armour-pierc-ing shells, hand grenades and the famous Russian anti-tank rifle. ATTACK ON PARIS The Beaufighter pilot, FlightLieutenant Gatford, avlio attacked Paris, broadcast from London last night. He said he had never been in Paris before. He said that he sprayed the Ministry of Marine offices, noAV occupied by the Gestapo, from base to apex with shells and only cleared the roof by five feet. “We actually saAV people looking doAvn on us,’’ he said. OCCUPIED EUROPE A grim picture is presented by CAents and unrest in Hitler-occu-pied Europe. The Yugo-Slav guerilla leader. General Mihailovitch, is pinning doAvn 17 Italian diA’isions in Yugo-Slavia, also many Bulgarians and Hungarians. Further hostages numbering 250 have been shot in Yugo-Sla\’ia. Colonel Knox, Secretary to the U.S. Navy, said: “Here is our ans Aver. to the Nazis. Yoti have not exterminated Lydicia, you haA - e given it a name Avhich will live in the hearts and minds of free men eA’eryAvliere.”