BATTLE OF SOLLUM

Press, Volume LXXVII, Issue 23361, 21 June 1941, Page 9

BATTLE OF SOLLUM

Correspondent’s Account

“ENDED IN A DRAW”

(Received June 21, 12.30 a.m.)

(U.P.A.) LONDON, June 20. A special correspondent of “The Times” says the battle of Solluip ended in a draw.

"I can speak only of the Solium battle field—the coastal plain and slopes of the escarpment,” he says. “Because of casualties among war correspondents’ transport we were unable to follow the battle of the tanks on the plateau, where enemy divebombers joined in at heavy cost in men and machines.

“The first day’s fighting before Solium ended in our men disputing possession of Halfaya (‘Hellfire’) Pass. At dawn the next day, under cover of a heavy ground mist, our attack was renewed.

“Both the weather and terrain suited the Highlanders who formed the left flank. Within two hours the enemy was driven from his fortified

positions at the head of the pass. The Indian troops on the right encountered stronger opposition, and never did the pass so well deserve the lurid nickname as it did that day, when it echoed incessantly with the murderous challenge of machine-gun fire, “Meanwhile, with the Highlanders holding the head of the pass, another column of our infantry supported by a squadron of tanks advanced along the' ridge of the escarpment where it sweeps .in a vast serai-circle to the headland behind Solium, “On this headland stands an old Egyptian barracks, gleaming white against the brown sand. The German garrison there was about a battalion strong. It abandoned the position and with the town below no longer tenable the men made their way along the shores of Solium Bay to the mouth of ’Hellflre’ Pass, but there was ■no escape through the pass. •i “Their only hope, was to withdraw to tiie beudi and make a stand with their backs to the sea. There was a certain grim, if shortlived satisfaction in knowing that for once the enemy was called on to defend himself on the beach.

“Meanwhile, ’ the Indians in ‘Hellfire’ Pass, fighting tirelessly, had made good progress, and the few Germans who had escaped death or capture manned isolated machine-guns on the western slopes. From these posts they kept up a harassing fire which took fairly heavy toll of the Indians. “The front remained quiet all night. From time to time the Germans on the beach below Solium sent up Verey lights. "The next enemy counter-attack developed far south, beyond Sidi Omar. A formidable panzer force was sighted from the air. It was too good a chance for the Royal Air Force to miss. Nine Blenheims flying in tight fo* mation from a height of 3QOO feet -jattered tanks and armoured vehicles in all directions.

“Ten tanks were among the wreckage strewn on the desert, but the threat of an encircling movement was too serious to be ignored find the order was given for a general withdrawal to our original positions. “As our troops pulled back from ‘Hellfire* Pass along the ‘Via Mussolini,’ panzer squadrons loomed over the coast escarpment, remained poised there momentarily, then poured down the slopes like dark torrents and raced across the coastal plain—just too late. “The battle of Solium had ended in a draw.’’

SUPREMACY IN THE AIR

R.A.F.’s Part in Battle In Western Desert

NORMAL PATROL ACTIVITY RESUMED

LONDON, June 19. Reuter’s correspondent with the British advanced forces in the Western Desert states that a striking feature, of the campaign was that the British established superiority in the air and never lost it. A senior officer attributed the superiority to the British tactics of “shooting sitting birds.” “We never let them off the ground,” he said. The Royal Air Force raided every aerodrome, going as far back as 100 miles beyond Benghazi, and every divebomber was shot up as it climbed over jhe escarpment. In a fierce battle on Wednesday, a formation of German bombers was attacked by Hurricanes and 11 were shot down, the British loss being only one machine. . ~ „ In addition, the Royal Air Force held the enemy at bay by continuously strafing German troops. Units of the Royal Air Force and the South African Air Force which gave valuable assistance to the land forces during the battle,' have now resumed their normal patrol activities. Raids have been carried out on Derna and El Gazala. Enemy aircraft approached Malta yesterday oh‘two occasions, but were intercepted, and raids did not materialise. An enemy fighter was shot down, and others were badly damaged.

Such of the cable news in this issue | as Is ,so headed has appeared in “The Times” and is sent tb this paper by special permission. It should be understood that the opinions are not those of “The Times" unliss expressly stated to. he *».' ■■■' : ' r*