ADVANCE BY 8th ARMY

Press, Volume LXXIX, Issue 23848, 18 January 1943, Page 5

ADVANCE BY Bth ARMY

Enemy Withdraws From Buerat

CONTACT 60 MILES FURTHER WEST (N.2. Press Association—Copyright) (Rec. 1 a.m.) LONDON, January 17. The Bth Army has begun another offensive in Libya and Marshal Rommel’s forces are again retreating to the west. To-day’s Cairo communique says; “Offensive operations which started on Friday have been successful. By yesterday the enemy had withdrawn from the whole of the Buerat position. Yesterday our troops were in close contact with the enemy rearguards retreating to the north-west, and by the evening they were being engaged in the area of Sedada and Bir Tala. (Sedada is 65 miles due west of Buerat and Bir Tala is 12 miles further on to the north-west.)” The communique adds that in the course of the operations the Bth Army captured prisoners and tanks. Instead of following the coast road where it bends to the north-west towards Misurata, General Montgomery’s spearhead has followed the tracks leading due west. This makes it appear that the enemy will not be able to make a stand at Misurata, which has been suggested as a possible German defence line in the eVent of the Buerat position being lost.

An earlier report said that the Berlin radio had reiterated its claim that the Bth Army had begun a large-scale attack, but there was no confirmation from Allied sources. The radio said that the entire artillery of the Bth Army shelled the German and Italian tank' army positions before attacking. The Ist, 7th, and 10th Armoured Divisions, 22nd and 23rd Armoured Brigades, the New Zealand Division, and the 4th and sth Infantry Divisions, and also Greek and Fighting French units, were participating in the attack. Saturday’s Chiro communique said: “There was increased activity by'our patrols yesterday. Casualties were inflicted on the enemy in several sectors. Air activity over the battle area Was confined to fighter-bomber attacks and offensive patrols. There was little enemy opposition. "The harbour and road junctions at Tripoli were bombed heavily on Thursday night. Hits were also scored on a railway station and military stores. Large fires were started. The

Marshal Rommel, on the most generous estimate, now disposes half the men he had before the retreat from Alamein, and not all of them are flrstclass troops. He probably has not more than a quarter the number of tanks he had at El Alamein, and is weak in artillery, transport, and aircraft; but he has been and is being reinforced in spite of the heavy toll British submarines are exacting. It is doubtful whether the enemy commander in Tunisia can spare Marshal Rommel effective reinforcements, especially of aircraft. Allied losses since Alamein must have been very much lighter than the enemy’s, but substantial organisation of supply and communications is required before a further mass attack can be launched. It is expected that this process will be carried out with thoroughness as before the El Alamein offensive.

Though Malta has always been regarded as a key naval base, its importance as an air base is only to-day

same night low-flying fighters "Shot: up targets in the battle area and 6fl"rdh'ds; in Tunisia.

Eteltife' fully demonstrated, says a BntTsK ’ Official Wireless message. Probably never before hais the island held a position of such strategic importance as it does to-day. For instance, a Cairo message discloses that the heavy attack on Tripoli on Thursday night was carried out by Malta-based bombers. While these bombers were dropping high explosives and thousands ox incendiaries on Tripoli in support of the Bth Army, Malta-based fighters were attacking enemy road convoys in Tunisia in support of the Ist Army. During the same night other fighters were over aerodromes in Sicily on offensive patrols. A New Zealander, Pilot Officer Hesketh, scored his first successes oyer the Tripolitanian v coast' when circling round his squadron leader, who had been shot down into the sea after an Allied fighter formation had destroyed five enemy aeroplanes. Two Macchi 200’s approached, and as Pilot Officer Hesketh circled he shot them both down into the sea.

“Large-scale daylight bombing was carried out against Tripoli harbour yesterday. One enemy fighter was destroyed during the operation. Our long-range fighters destroyed a number of south-bound fuel lorries north of Gabes. From all these operations one of our fighters is missing.” . ' Enemy Movement Westward

Air reconnaissance over Libya shows that the enemy is withdrawing transport and equipment west of Misurata, and movement west of Tripoli itself has even been observed. South of Misurata there are strong rearguards, but there is no sign that the enemy is prepared to fight a pitched battle. Indeed, there is much evidence that the whole of the enemy forces in this last northern corner of Libya may be falling back into Tunisia. These forces now make an ■ ill-balanced army.