ROMMEL AGGRESSIVE

Greymouth Evening Star, 23 January 1942, Page 5

ROMMEL AGGRESSIVE

RECONNAISANCE IN FORCE "A MINOR INCIDENT" LONDON, January 22. An Axis reconnaissance in force in western Cyrenaica is reported in today’s communique from British General Headquarters in Cairo. Ihe communique says: “Yesterday, in conditions of bad visibility, the enemy, m three strong columns disposing the bulk of the remaining Axis tanks, made a reconnaissance in force to a depth of about 10 miles east of a general line running south of Mersa Brega. (Mersa Brega is about 30 miles east and slightly north of El Agheila). Our light forces covering our advance withdrew, ' maintaining contact throughout the day with the enemy and inflicting casualties on him. The weather again seriously hampered the activities of our air forces.” Rommel’s reconnaissance in the Mersa Brega area is regarded in London as a minor incident, having little bearing on the general situation in Libya. Authoritative circles have no confirmation that the Germans have succeeded in obtaining reinforcements and armoured vehicles to establish a counter-offensive, but their columns might be composed of units reformed in the rear. It is possible that the reconnaissance may be no more than a sortie, for the purpose of covering a further withdrawal, and investigating the strength of the British advanced posts. _ _ ROMMEL HARASSED CAIRO, January 22 After an improvement in the weather in Tripolitania, R.A.F. bombers are again harassing day and night Rommel’s lines of communication. Masses of debris were hurled high into the air when Blenheims scored a direct hit on a large base depot, ten miles from Tome.

LEADER’S CONGRATULATIONS CAIRO, January 22. The Commander-in-Chiel, Middle East (General Auchinleck) has sent a telegram of congratulation to the Commander-in-Chief of the Bth Army (Lieutenant-General Ritchie) upon his successes at Bardia and Halfaya. He also congratulated the Genera: Officer Commanding the South African forces (General I. P. de Villiers) who, he said, deserved the highest praise. His troops had lost only out man to every 28 lost by the Germans and the Italians. General Ritchie visited General de Villiers at Solium and congratulated him and his men, before touring the battlefields. General Ritchie was especially interested in the elaborate German defences at Halfaya Pass, ano said it was obvious that many lives would have been sacrificed, if the South Africans had been obliged to take it by assault.

AERIAL ACTIVITIES LONDON, Jan. 22. The weather in Libya has improved, allowing the Royal Air Force to resume its hammering of General von Rommel’s communications by day and night. Targets west of El Agheila which have again been attacked include Homs, Zuara, and Tripoli. The seaplane base was the main objective at Tripoli. In addition two large fires were started near administrative quarters in the town. On Tuesday Royal Air Force bombers attacked Catania, the main aii base in Sicily, for the second night in succession. The attack went on lor lb hours. The raiders left about 20 enemy aircraft in flames. RUGBY, January 22. An R.A.F. Middle East communique, reporting that the Sicilian aerodrome of Catania was successfully attacked for. over 10 hours by R.A.F. bombers, adds: During the same night, objectives at Salamis, in Greece, were raided, but owing to low cloud, the results of the attack could not be observed. Bombs were also dropped at Heraklion, in Crete, and on objectives near Patras, in the Gull of Corinth.

Operations in Libya were again severely curtailed by bad weather conditions, but during Tuesday, our bombers scored a number of hits on barrack buildings, and machinegunned lorries on the coastal road. Other aircraft attacked motor transport at Zuara, and machine-gunned a Caproni bomber on the Zuara aerodrome. Enemy road communcations were also bombed. Tripoli harbour was effectively raided by our aircraft, and in the harbour area and seaplane base large fires broke out. Enemv aircraft were active over Malta. “During yesterday’s raids, our fighters intercepted an enemy formation and damaged a number of raiding bombers and their fighter escort. From these and other operations, one of our aircraft is missing.

SICILIAN DROME BOMBED. RUGBY, January 22. For more than 10 hours on Tuesday night, wave after wave of R.A.F. Wellingtons swept m from the sea and blasted the German and Italian air forces based at Catania, on the east coast of Sicily, says the Air Ministry News Service. By the time the last bomber left, just before day - break, the air crews had reported throughout the night about 20 fires from burning aircraft. It was the second night in succession that the aerodrome had been attacked, ana it was the fourth raid on Sicilian air bases during the past week. A pilot officer in one ot the latei formations of bombers, was fortunate enough to find the aerodrome illuminated. Perimeter and landing lights were switched on to enable two JUBB’s to come in. The bomber waited until he calculated the hrsi Junkers was about to touch down, then he released all the bombs in a stick along the runway Ihe JU bi, had just touched ground. As one bomb exploded in front of it. Fire was also started at the end oi the runway. A general attack was opened shortly before eight o’clock by a flight lieutenant whose . bombs toil across the runway, and in the northern corner of the aerodrome, whicn is being used by the enemy as a dispersal point for bombers. Several fires were started, followed by aleast 12 explosions. One pilot said he could still see the fires burning when more than 40 miles away. Arriving over the target shortly afterwards, a New Zealand squadion leader reported that he saw a number of explosions in the dispersal area, and fire. So heavy was the antiaircraft fire when he approached to make the attack, that he dived several thousand feet to put off the ground gunners. Bombs from this aircraft started two large fires which were vi'sible from at least oO miles away, and caused a series ol violent exnlosions. Other hits were scored on “the administration buildings at the northern end of the aerodrome. More fires were started subsequently, and one air crew counted nine large explosions. One sergeant pilot said that when he arrived over the target, there were several bluish white glows, which were the remains of burning aircraft.