GERMANS IN CYRENAICA

Greymouth Evening Star, 23 May 1941, Page 7

GERMANS IN CYRENAICA

R.A.F. TAKE HEAVY TOLL PLANES, LORRIES & DUMPS [BY CABLE —PRESS ASSN. —COPYRIGHT ] (Recd. May 23, 1.10 p.m.) LONDON, May 22. The R.A.F. is unloosing the mostintensive effort since the beginning of the desert war, against' German concentration and transport columns in Cyrenaica, says the Associated Press correspondent in the Western Desert. During the last 30 hours, eight German planes were destroyed, scores of vehicles set on fire, and ammunition and petrol dumps blown up. To meet the British air offensive, Germans are stationing tanks at regular intervals along roads and trails, to combat the low-lying attacking planes. A considerable German force, equipped with 2000 is concentrated in the Capuzzo—Bardia area, but there is no indication that an immediate enemy offensive is planned. This concentration has been the main target, of British air attacks. British air losses, so far, have been extremely light. The pilots concede that German anti-aircraft fire is superior to the Italian, and is improving. Air observers report seeing enemy troops in the desert clad in khaki, instead of the usual grey-green. SOLLUM AREA. ~RUGBY, May 22. In the Solium area, the enemy was engaged by our artillery on the morning of May 20, a few miles southwest of Musaid. Casualties were inflicted on the enemy, and their tanks withdrew. FREE FRENCH PILOTS.

[BRITISH OFFICIAL WIRELESS.] RUGBY, May 22. Side by side with the Royal Air Force, a Free French squadron has for two months taken part in operations in Abyssinia each day. It has frequently been mentioned in British official communiques, particularly in connection with the bombardment of Debra Markos and Bahardar, and more recently in the region .of Lake Tsana, especially at Gondar and Chilga. The following account of an action by a French flight lieutenant who fought in France until just before the armistice is typical. “We had just completed our first flight over the Gondar aerodrome; dropping two bombs on a hangar,” he said. “I was getting ready for a second attack when I "saw an Italian CR42 coming out of the clouds about two miles off and heading straight for us. I immediately made for the clouds, but the CR42 was faster. It gave chase and for two minutes it was not more than 200 yards away, firing all the time. Our aeroplane was peppered with tracers. One of these missed our gunner by about 20 inches. He quickly put out the tracer bullets, but there was such a smell of burning that I thought something more serious had happened. The Italian aeroplane, crossing in upon us, dived under the Blenheim’s tail to attack from below. Seeing this manoeuvre, I banked suddenly so as to get the enemy within range of the machine-gun-ner. He released a long burst of tracer bullets, some of which went straight into the Italian’s engine. As a result, the distance between us and the Italian rapidly increased, and we finally saw him crash on rough ground.” _____