Nazi Desperation at Bir Hacheim

Evening Post, Volume CXXXIII, Issue 136, 11 June 1942, Page 5

Nazi Desperation at Bir Hacheim

NO SUCCESS YET

LONDON, June 10. A dispatch received from the Western Desert says that the Axis forces are trying new and desperate tactics to reduce Bir Hacheim. British tanks and motorised forces, as well as planes, have now rushed to the support of the Free French garrison. The Free French are answering back, and one report says that after being heavily shelled they launched a counter-attack. The enemy overran a small post earlier in the day, but it was recovered, together with much of the lost ground.

'An observer says that the enemy is obviously tired of throwing in tanks against the rock-like fortress at Bir Hacheim. When the latest attack , started it. became clear that the Axis was going to try something new, and that the assault would be about the heaviest yet. First of all the enemy started shelling from a distance, lodging big shells on the Free French strong-point. They brought down from the coastal area some of their 105-mm. guns, some of which are thought to be of French origin, having been handed over by the Vichy authorities, further, west in Africa. This attack was followed up with tanks and shock infantry. This newest type of battering started on Monday morning, and has had no success yet. Fighting went on all day and night, and boiled up to a new pitch of fury yesterday, when the Germans threw in a large number of divebombers. The climax of yesterday's fighting came in the evening, when the Free French suddenly lynched, a counterattack to the north, driving off some threatening enemy units. After fourteen days of battering, the Free French are now facing their severest test. Axis reinforcements of tanks and infantry are waiting about in the neighbourhood of Bir

Hacheim in the hope that the terrific artillery bombardment will open the way to their attack, and other tanks are lying further off to the south-west. They might be used in the final assault. The Free French arc relying entirely on supplies which can be got through to them. The British convoys are working well so far, and planes, including detachments of the South African Air Force, are giving Bir Hacheim the maximum possible protection. * "We don't know quite what is happening," the observer says; "the defenders are too busy to send out reports. All we know is that they are still holding the Germans." He adds that the enemy has motorised columns practically all round the position, but that the British convoys are still arriving at Bir Hacheim with food and water. At the moment the fortress has the advantage of supplies that arrived two days ago. The latest dispatches from the Knightsbridge area say that the situation in the Cauldron is comparatively quiet. Yesterday action was confined to long-range duels between armoured I units on both sides. i

In the air, Kittybombers have been attacking, blasting German tank for mations and interfering as much as possible with the Axis lines of supply In addition, R.A.F. planes bombed targets across the Mediterranean, including targets at Heraclion, in Crete and the Italian naval base at Taranto.