LATEST WAR NEWS

Bay of Plenty Times, Volume LXX, Issue 13671, 19 June 1942, Page 5

LATEST WAR NEWS

The following is a summary of the atest war news: LIBYAN CAMPAIGN The coast road to the Egyptian frontier is still open and the garrison at Tobruk is manning the defences and maintaining intense watchfulness. The outlook for the Allies is stated to be better than at one time seemed possible. A direct attack on the fortress would be severely hampered by our mobile forces. ' RUSSIA The Axis offensive at Sebastopol seems to have reached its peak. The Germans say that 'hand-to-hand fighting is talcing place only two miles from the harbour. Moscow reports that the defences are still unbroken. The Red Fleet is shelling German positions and helping to maintain supplies. Soviet marines are being rushed up in speed boats to reinforce the garrison. It is also stated that Russian marines have landed at Kerch and at other points on the Crimean peninsula. When the Germans attacked the Russian defences at Kharkov after intense bombing and artillery fire they found the Russian lines bristling with defences in spite of the terrific bombardment. TREATY WITH RUSSIA The Treaty between U.S.S.R. and Great Britain was ratified in the Kremlin to - day at a meeting of the Supreme Soviet Council 31. Molotoff made a statement and M. Stalin was also present. No further details are as yet available. PACIFIC AREA The battles of the Coral Sea and Midway bad, said Mr Stimson, U.S. Secretary for War, improved the position in the Pacific. They had substantially reduced the threat, of an attack on the U.S. Pacific Coast. The enemy fleet had been scattered all over the Pacific and had scuttled away as fast as it could without air protection. CZECHOSLOVAKIA The German-controlled Prague radio has put out the story that the killers of Heydrich were caught in a church in Prague this morning and shot when trying to resist arrest. The report said that they were Czechs Avho had been dropped from a British aeroplane. QUEEN OF THE NETHERLANDS Queen Wilhelmina of the Nether lands arrived by air in Ottawa uay from Great Britain. She was welcomed by Mr McKenzie King, Canadian Prime Minister, and Princess Juliana. It was her first flight in an aeroplane. She will be th e guest of the Governor - General the Dnke of Athlone. The Queen had not seen the Princess for two years. .Later she will go to the United States and will see President and Mrs Roosevelt. On this trip she will be accompanied by Mr Van Kleffens, Butch representative in Canada. KING OF GREECE King George of the Hellenes, speaking in America, reminded his hearers" of the part Greece was still playing in the struggle for freedom. The Greeks were immobilising large Axis forces and doinggood work on the sea. GENERAL BE GAULLE An audience of 6000 people, mostly Frenchmen, gathered in the Alher't Hall, London, to hear eral de Gaulle last night on the second anniversary of Ids call to France to fight on. RETURN FROM ABYSSINIA Two Italian liners have reached Gibraltar on their way baek to Italy from Abyssinia with Italian refugees.