ENEMY OCCUPIES SOLLUM

Dominion, Volume 34, Issue 182, 30 April 1941, Page 7

ENEMY OCCUPIES SOLLUM

Thrust Into Egypt Checked ARMOURED FORCES IN CONTACT

(By Telegraph—Press Assn. —Copyright.) LONDON, April 28.

Germans and Italians occupied Solium on April 26, according to military sources in Cairo, but harassing tactics by a British armoured division have so far prevented further penetration. The Royal Air Force continues to hammer the enemy’s lines oi communication, destroying reinforcements and supplies, . and the position is regarded as satisfactory.

A Cairo communique stated: “lu the Solium area yesterday enemy detachments which had penetrated five or six miles across the frontier on the previous evening made little or no progress. Eight elements of a wellknown British armoured division once again made contact with the enemy. The machine-gunning of troops while embarking in German troopcarrying aeroplanes is recorded in a Royal Air Force communique, which states: “In Cyrenaica yesterday the R.A.F. continued to hamper enemy movements, bombing and machine gunning troops and transport. “At Benina fighters machine-gunned a number of Junkers 52 troop-carriers while they were embarking troops on the ground. One enemy aircraft was destroyed by fire, and the remainder were badly damaged.” Sand Storm Stope Enemy. LONDON, April 29.

A violent sand storm is holding up the enemy forces which crossed the frontier into Egypt. Visibility in some places has been reduced to 50 yards. It is considered likely that the conditions will become worse. An American correspondent comments that the sand storm is a valuable ally to the British as they are more experienced in the conditions of desert warfare than the Axis troops.