Thrust Toward Beirut And Damascus

Press, Volume LXXVII, Issue 23354, 13 June 1941, Page 7

Thrust Toward Beirut And Damascus

, • f : COLUMNS CONVERGE TOWARDS ALEPPO <*' (UNITED PBEBS ASSOCIATION—COPYHIOHT.) (Received June 12, 11 p.m.) LONDON, June 12.

The Australian column advancing along the coast of Lebanon towards Beirut is now six or seven miles south of Saida, which is 20 miles north of Es Sur and about the same distance from Beirut. This informa* tlon was authoritatively given in London this morning.

Other reports say that the Australians have broken the main line of fortifications defending Beirut. The terrain is easy to defend, but British warships are lending powerful aid and are also landing picked British units to attack the defenders in the rear and flank. The fall of Merjiyun, south-east of Saida, opens the way along the Leontes valley to the French airfield at Rayak, 30 miles east of Beirut. The defenders of Merjiyun have fallen back to positions near Rasheya. The terrain here is also difficult for the Allies, but with the advance from El Kuneitrah they are now astride a second route to Damascus.

The British and Free French forces in the main advance to Damascus have swept on from Gabarheb to Kiswe, 10 miles south of the capital, where yesterday they were heavily engaged with the main outer de- j fences. 1

Vichy claims that General Dentz’s forces are fighting the British at Abu Kamal, where the Euphrates flows from Syria into Iraq, but the Turkish radio gays that a British armoured column has advanced from Abu Kalnal and occupied the important modern airfield of Deir-ez Zor, while a second armoured column advancing parallel to the Syrian-Turkish border has passed south of Ras el Ain, 100 miles from the Syrian* Iraqi border, and is still moving on. The Turkish announcer suggested that these two columns may converge and continue to advance towards Aleppo.

A captured French officer said that a long defence of Beirut is impossible. ‘*We have about 1000 French officers and men in Syria, and our troops number 30,000, but they are mainly natives. There are no major fortifications before Beirut. We also have limited material compared with the British equipment, and our ammunition is meagre.”

£ ,qjr communique states: “The British brought up powerful rebfoitements, and have intensified their ittacks. which include an incessant lulling by a strong naval squadron, this has destroyed the line of blocktees on the north bank of the leont?s f river. The defenders here put up a sup resistance in spite of severe bust in which a whole battalion was Bcrifised. "The defenders of Kiswe are renting Violent infantry and tank attacks in an intensified. Allied attempt to reach Damascus. Our aeroplanes toe been Very active, bombing and machine-gunning land and naval farces.” -i'. ■ . , Reports ; from Cairo state that the Royal-Ait' Force drove off enemy mbers attempting to interfere with Ruled, columns. . , iA considerable portion of the Allied farce operating in Lebanon has been Jtoded by sea. This force played a Mg part in the crossing of the river It included specially trained ftontth bhlts, who have shown great ph In their assaults on enemy posi-:A-newspaper correspondent has told iOlory bf now five members of one «■ the Scottish units wiped out an of enemy artillery toned with grenades, they approached ge battery, position and, making good W.ot ’cover to avoid snipers and Ptotoe-guns, they threw their bombs fajgkm'the surprised enemy gunners. Iltti>thiß way they captured three of wecnemy’s 77 mm. field guns and tonSd one of them on to the fourth Pi Cf the battery, when its crew was Jlte act of bringing it to bear upon iAffgr that they continued to use the teiUPQto the enemy, inflicting an fWale flre on him and causing many gjWtics.The five Scots were later Wp prisoner, but were relieved soon their capture by the arrival of Australians. |”icbjt reports state that the Allies toe' taken Merjiyun and Gabarheb. have intensified their drive W<,the whole front. ;A message from Jerusalem states that Vichy cruisers and a destroyer

bombarded the British from a range of 500 yards south of Beirut. British artillery answered and the duel lasted for half an hour until British warships arrived. The Vichy ships then put up a smoke screen and made off with the British in pursuit. ' ' As the engagement is still proceeding no details are available. It Is authoritatively stated in London that the Allies have taken hundreds of prisoners in Syria, but it is not clear whether they were captured normally or whether they surrendered without fighting. There are no reports at present that Germans are among them.

A British officer who has just returned from the front line, told a correspondent of the “Daily Express” that the battle of the Leontes was no picnic. It began about 9 a.m., when British artillery launched a heavy barrage, which was twice repeated. Then 1000 infantry and tanks charged across the river flat. Engineers dashed through a banana plantation, dammed back a stream, and threw a pontoon bridge across. Tanks, guns, men, and ambulances were rushed across it. The British swept up the slopes, but already there was chaos in the French lines. Picked British troops trained for every conceivable manner of fighting had landed from warships, first rowing, then wading ashore in the face of French fire. Within a quarter of an hour of landing one soldier had smashed his way into the French barracks and hauled down the flag. A Royal Air Force communique says; “In Syria and Palestine the Royal Air Force has continued to give full support to the advance of our ground troops. A bombing attack was made on the aerodrome at Palmyra, and direct hits were obtained on hangars. “Haifa had two -air raid alarms on Tuesday, and one enemy aircraft was shot down.” . . „„ The Ministry of Economic Warfare is holding large quantities of food near Syria which it will send in immediately the Germans are driven out. AIR STRENGTH IN MIDDLE EAST reinforcements for AUSTRALIANS MELBOURNE, June 12. Australian soldiers in the Middle East are being heavily reinforced by protective squadrons of fighters and Army co-operation aircraft flown by Australian airmen. The Australian Minister for Air (Mr J McEwen) said' to-day that this iniDortant development disclosed the swift march of the British and Australian Governments towards the realisation of the plan l° r which they had been working for some time to ensure that no Australian troops would be without adequate air protection. Mr McEwen said that two of the new squadron® would be commanded by Australian pilots. Flight G. H Steege and B. R. Pelly.. Members of the squadrons, airmen trained under the Empire air scheme, would fly Hurricanes and the latest American fighters. Later, Australians would man b °lhe e effects of the air training scheme were now. being felt in the' war zone and more and more reinforcements of Australian airmen would be supplied as the output of air crews went into full swing. BRIGADIER inglis IN ENGLAND REPORT ON LESSONS OP CRETE

LACK OF UNIFIED 2; COMMAND CAUSE OF BRITAIN’S jDEFEATS tts. NAVY SECRETARY’S VIEWS \- J 1 WASHINGTON, June 12. g British defeats In the Meditcrwere caused by lack of a uninrnnand,” said Colonel Frank Secretary of the United States a,.meeting of representatives industry, . , , added ' that the ■ lack Was.appalling and resulted in &&feat at Crete. a vWMonel: Knox’s remarks were made to suggestions that the United 2P*:»6uld form a separate air force 'i?s®and. He reiterated his belief cW; Die -war would be decided by > .tS'j'Wing to military control at the 'B*wood plant of the North AmeriCompany, he said that Government had done there fitted: no challenge to collective ffßjting or union activity, but did those who used those things g:*-.cloak to attack American freeAnd. liberty. From now on sub-■-jaßmind communistic elements so aWWOald be proceeded against as of the country. RISH' column 'at K' KIRKUK-- - , LONDON, June 11. that a British mobile ggjWjo Has entered Kirkuk, one of the centres in northern Iraq. The received a friendly welaroPm the Inhabitants. ’ mffllJtalian Legation left Bagdad to* ImSiffer- the Iraqi Government had ißaPy announced that it had broken IPPWomatic relations with Italy.

LONDON, June 12,. It is believed that Brigadier L. M. Inglis is the New Zealand officer Mr Churchill referred to in his speech on Tuesday as being on his way to England to advise how the lessons of Crete may be applied to the defence of Britain. . . , , Brigadier Inglis arrived yesterday.