BATTLE OF EGYPT

Evening Star, Issue 24265, 5 August 1942, Page 5

BATTLE OF EGYPT

RACE FOR REINFORCEMENTS

PATROLS PROBING ENEMY DEFENCES (Rec. noon.) LONDON, Aug. 4. The great desert race between general Auchinleck and Rommel to reinforce their respective armies with men and material continues. Patrols in the past few days have Intercepted numerous .German working parties laying mines, digging gun positions, and wiring. The Romo radio declared that both sides are preparing for battle in Egypt. Numerous ships are arriving daily from Italian and Libyan ports with fresh reinforcements. General Auchinleck is also receiving a stream of reinforcements from the Near East and the Middle East. “ Auchinleck won’t bo able to stem the overwhelming attack which the Axis forces will launch at the opportune moment,” it stated. General Auchinleck’s patrols were increasingly active yesterday, probing Field-Marshal Rommel's defences, says the Cairo correspondent of the ‘ Daily Express.’ t British artillery shelled enemy positions, while scouts sallied out. Fighter-bombers carried out two attacks on motor vehicles and tents on the Egyptian front. Bomber aircraft were over Tobruk in force on Sunday night. Explosions were seen among petrol installations in the > north-west corner of the harbour, and large fires were started on the water front. Other bombers raided lighters and coastal shipping in Bardia and Solium, a large fire, accompanied by explosions, being started in the latter port. Six of our aircraft are missing, but three of the pilots are safe.

CRIMINAL PROCEDURE

AMERICAN LAW FOR UNITED STATES FORCES

(British Official Wireless.) (Rec. 10.53 a.m.) RUGBY, Aug. 4. A Bill providing that criminal offences on the part of members of the United States armed forces shall be removed from the jurisdiction of the British courts was passed by the House of Commons. Mr H. Morrison (Home Secretary) explained that it was the considered opinion of the United States authorities that it was most expedient, and from their constitutional point of view right, that any offences on the part of members of these forces should be tried in their own military courts and not British courts. The American forces were accustomed to their own procedure in these matters, although that procedure was not very dissimilar from our own. Nevertheless, they would be more familiar/in dealing with their own authorities in their own customary way. SENT TO SOVIET BORDER MODERATE-SIZED TURKISH REINFORCEMENTS LONDON, Aug. 4. The Istanbul correspondent of the • Daily Mail ' says that moderate-sized Turkish _ reinforcements have gone to the Soviet border. ESCAPE FROM CRETE ADVENTURES OF SHIP’S GADET LONDON, August 4. The British Empire Medal has been awarded to John Halstead Dobson, a ship’s cadet, of Teignmouth. The citation states that Dobson was captured in Crete by the advancing Germans, and he was forced to march in front of .parachutists. Although suffering from chronic appendicitis, Dobson escaped and reached a New Zealand battery and for some days ho gave good service, helping to deliver ammunition. Dobson then proceeded to the south side of the-island and hoarded, with others, a motorised landing barge and sailed for Egypt. Dobson was the only sailor in the party ,and it was largely due to his navigational skill that'the barge reached" Egypt after a voyage of nine days. SUBMARINE CARGO VESSELS AH AMERICAN PROPOSAL WASHINGTON, Aug. 4. Mr Simon Lake, the submarine inventor. testifying before the Military Affairs Sub-committee of the Senate, recommended that tiie United States should build cargo submarines to elude the U-boats, instead of attempting to build ships faster than the submarines can sink them. Ho averred that submarine cargo vessels capable of loading 7.500 tons of cargo, with a speed of 12 knots on the surface and eight submerged. would be economical and safe to operate.