LITTLE LAND ACTIVITY

Press, Volume LXXVIII, Issue 23749, 22 September 1942, Page 5

LITTLE LAND ACTIVITY

EGYPTIAN FRONT REPORTED SHIFT OF FORCES (N.Z. Press Association—Copyright.) (Rec. 11 p.m.) LONDON. Sept. 21. The latest Cairo communique states: “During Saturday night our patrolling continued on the whole front. Yesterday our artillery was active in the south.

“Our Malta fighters shot down two enemy flying-boats over Sicily. Heavy and medium bombers attacked Tobruk on Saturday night. In fighter engagements two enemy aircraft were shot down over the battle area."

The correspondent of the “Daily Express” in the Western Desert says Marshal Rommel last week shifted his main armouied units slightly northwards from the vicinity of the Kattara depression, although he still thinly holds the jumping off place which he recently won. "The Allied patrols, to which ground operations in Egypt have been confined in recent weeks, have.been most successful,” reports the correspondent of “The Times" in the Western Desert. “Both sides are working at top*gpeed to build up their forces, and it is essential for the Allied staff to have full and up-to-date information concerning enemy disoositions and defence works. Our men are far better at this work than the Axis troops, who show a marked disinclination for night movement. Aircraft for Attacks on Ships “An appreciable number of Marshal Rommel's supply ships are still crossing the Mediterranean, although many are sunk or damaged, which speaks highly for" the vigilance of Allied airmen; but it is likely that greater damage could be done if the air forces were equipped with more dive-bomb-ers and torpedo-carrying aircraft. “The fact that Tobruk is still usable is no reflection on the skill of the Royal Air Force, but is additional proof of the practical impossibility of rendering a harbour unusable by bombing. This was probably one of the reasons for the recent Tobruk landing, which, though costly, is believed to have achieved its objective of the more exact destruction of vital harbour installations and selected supplies.” , A 8.8.C. correspondent states that present British activities are not the sort that are recorded in communiques. He calls the present lull a false quiet. However, there is plenty of movement, with preparations going along behind the lines on both sides for the next battle. In the two weeks that have passed since the German Afrika Korps retired, the enemy has been busy reinforcing, regrouping, and getting supplies into shape again. Behind the British lines preparations are going on steadily. Reinforcements of both men and materials are coming in steadily, and the opinion is expressed that the Imperial forces will be ready for the. struggle with a better chance of striking back than they ever had. More than 500,0001b of high explosive were dropped by the Royal Air Force during Marshal Rommel's offensive in Egypt early in September. An agency correspondent, reporting this, says Bostons and Baltimores dropped one bomb every 48 seconds during daylight, and the damage to the enemy’s fighting and supply services was a decisive factor in repelling the German attack. In the six days of the heaviest fighting, from August 31 to September 5, one bomb was dropped on the enemy every 75 seconds day and night, and the average bombing concentration was 25,0001b a souare mile an hour. During the battle British losses were three day and three night bombers, all by anti-aircraft fire and none to enemy fighters. The crews of two of the bombers were safe. Success of an attack on an enemy ship of 200 or 300 tons in the western Mediterranean on Thursday evening is confirmed by evidence now available, says the Air Ministry News Service. The vessel, which was carrying supplies to Marshal Rommel, was hit fair and square just abaft the'funnel by at least one bomb She was also severely shot up by both cannon and machinegun fire. As the attackers flew away the ship was listing heavily to rtort with a great deal of oil pouring from her. Aircraft later found .wreckage extending for more than half a mile.

TOBRUK LANDING

GERMAN TRIBUTE TO BRITISH FORCES

(Rec. 12.45 a.m.) LONDON, Sept. 21. On the German radio a German war correspondent described a new British battle device used in the Tobruk landing. “A whining machine darted into the air and released a bundle of parachute flares, which slowly came down with red and yellow lights.” he stated. German soldiers afterwards said they thought the lights were paratroops The commentator paid a tribute to the way in which British naval craft at Tobruk manoeuvred for position, and also the deftness with which British barges found a way through the single passage to the harbour entrance.

STALINGRAD AND CHINA

EVENTUAL THREAT SEEN IN CHUNGKING NEW YORK. Sept. 20. The fall of Stalingrad would open the way for the German hordes to sweep through the Caucasus and Iran to Afghanistan, thereby placing them on the threshold of China’s back door, declared Dr. Wen-hao, Chinese Minister of Economic Affairs, in an interview with the Chungking correspondent of the “New York Times.” Although he did not anticipate an actual invasion of China, Dr. Wen-hao said that the Germans could further tighten the blockade by ringing China’s borders. He observed that Germany was defeated in the last war because of an internal eponomic collapse, for which reason blockaded China must profit by historical experience and assiduously develop her latent resources to support the nation’s hard-pressed war effort. Already China had been seriously battered by the five years of struggle. “No country, however, has inexhaustible resources, and how China’s economy has withstood the ravages of this draining war so far is little short of a miracle, even to us,” he said. Dr. Wen-hao said that, in spite of Japan’s occupation of some of the richest and most productive areas, Chinese production has increased many limes over. For example, wheat '6nd flour output had doubled in the last year, and iron, cotton, and other products had increased substantially. A very perplexing problem at the moment was the lack of sufficient transport, because of inadequate rail and highway systems. Nevertheless, the Government’s large-scale programme of economic and industrial development was progressing, in spite of difficulties. The ultimate aim was national self-sufficiency, leading to expanded foreign trade after the war.

GERMAN FIGHTERS IN STRATOSPHERE

(Rec. 10 p.m.) LONDON, Sept. 20. “In the battle for Stalingrad the Germans are using a Messerschmitt 109 which is reported to have been designed for stratosphere flying,” says the aeronautical correspondent of the “Daily Mail.” “It has an operational ceiling of 40,000 feet, at which it is invisible from the ground. "It is regarded as the enemy s most dangerous development in stratosphere warfare, which has been a major concern of all the belligerents since the outbreak of war, because fighter supremacy largely depends on height. “It was officially announced more than a year ago that British fighters were operating at 37,000 feet, with 40,000 feet lit prospect.”