LIBYAN WITHDRAWAL

Greymouth Evening Star, 19 June 1942, Page 5

LIBYAN WITHDRAWAL

TWO MORE POSTS EVACUATED

ATTACK ON TOBRUK AWAITED

BRITISH AERIAL SUPERIORITY

LONDON. June 18

To-day’s Cairo communique says: “Our forces have been withdrawn from their positions at El Adem and Sidi Rezegh. Our mobile forces are continuing to harass the enemy south and west of Tobruk. According to the 8.8. C. observer in Cairo (Mr. Richard Dimbleby), reporting a probable German thrust to Acroma, the British forces may no longer be in that area, having finished their job of covering the withdrawal from El Gazala along the coast road. Mr. Dimbleby says that the German 90th light motorised division appears to be preparing to thrust to-1 wards Acroma, but they may find no! one there, as the British forces in that area have finished their job. Describing the withdrawal from El Gazala, Mr. Dimbleby says that it was necessary for Acroma to bar the enemy’s progress until the South African forces passed. The Indian troops held firm when the enemy tried in vain to cut the road. A small village on the coast between Tobruk and El Gazala was taken by the Germans, but the South Africans had then been withdrawn to Tobruk with all their artillery. Since then this village has been recaptured from Tne enemy. The British sth Division, which made a thrust north towards the Italians, was forced to double back on its tracks past the German advancing forces to the south, but it is now believed to be out of the immediate battle area. ■Tt further account of how the British 50th Division and the South Africans broke out of the El Gazala trap says that they breached minefields 15 miles from the coast opposite the main Italian positions, cut their way through two Italian divisions, beat off enemy tanks, and drove through the enemy’s communications in a sweeping 150-mile arc. They brought out 12 Valentine tanks which would otherwise would have been abandoned. They burned, bombed, and tommy-gunned Axis lorries, troops, tents, and dug-outs, and threw the Axis rear into confusion. SHORTAGE OF WATER (Recd. 9.10 a.m.) LONDON, .June 18. Berlin military commentators describe the present fighting in Libya as the fourth stage of the battle which is expected to last two or three weeks. German war correspondents reports suggest the British prisoners are given water only from captured supplies, and when the water supply columns reach the front, not from the regular German rations, which “arc sufficient only to prevent our soldiers! dying from thirst.” The correspondents stress the difficulties resulting] from the British minefields, shortage of water and the heat. One correspondent declared that the minefields are one of the enemy’s worst arms. aerialTactivity RUGBY, June 18. An R.A.F. Middle East communique report continuous operations against enemy forces at El Adem and Sidi Rezegh yesterday. Enemy aircraft were very active in the forward area. The landing ground at Tmimi and aerodromes in Crete were raided by our bombers on Tuesday and Wednesday nights, causing fires and explosions among dispersed aircraft. Four of our aircraft are missing, but two of the pilots are safe. RITCHIE’S BOLD MOVE. RUGBY, June 18. An agency correspondent cabled today: “Like a bold surgeon who does not hesitate to make a bold operation, General Ritchie is making Tne boldest of operations in the withdrawal of our troops, in. the attempt to keep the line intact. With our positions at El Adem and Sidi Rezegh evacuated, it may be said the situation with regard to Tobruk is about the same 'to-day, as early in last December. The threat to Tobruk is now serious, but the withdrawal was rendered necessary after the setback of June 13.” Tobruk with its extensive pen-

meter has not yet been attacked. Nevertheless, memories of the triumphant eight months’ siege, while the enemy hold ground between Tobruk and the frontier, arc revived by the latest news. There is much discussion of the reasons for the advantage gained by the Axis lorces, in the latest phase of the hard-fought Libyan war. It is learned on good authority that the air superiority established by the R.A.F. in .1940 has not been lost at any time, though recent operations by Stukas had an effect locally. It is estimated that more than 100 Stukas are in Africa, of.which not more than 50 can be employed on a single day, and never more than 30 have been| used in any one attack. It is stated definitely in London that there are more British aircraft in Africa than the total German-Italian aircraft ■ combined. A great many of these British and American craft, of course, are used for low-level bombing. The reasons for the German advance from the Gaza la line past Tobruk, must evidently be found in the quality of the material available for the use of the land forces. ' DIFFICULT PROBLEM. (Rec. 12.20 p.m.) CAIRO. June 18. Rommel is concentrating such strength against the new British positions south and west of Tobruk, chat the situation must be regarded as serious. The evacuation of El Adem and Sidi Rezegh presents the Eighth Army with a most difficult problem in maintaining an effective line. A message from Cairo says the Germans will find nothing at Acroma. For that reason, it can be assumed it has also already been evacuated. The British, meantime, continue to maintain communication between Tobruk and the Egyptian frontier, and an attack against the Tobruk perimeter itself has not yet developed. It is authoritatively stated in Lon- i don that enemy claims to have i snatched air superiority is without I foundation. The R.A.F. has consist- i ently maintained superiority since the beginning of the campaign, this; applying both to bombers and fight- i ers. ] OLIVER STEWART’S CRITICISM j (Recd. 11.45) LONDON. June 18. The bad news from Libya has issued from official sources in an exasperatingly smug drawingroom man- ] ner, says the “Standard’s” aeronauti- I cal correspondent, Major Oliver] Stewart, “but if we thrust aside the I shock-absorbing verbiage and the] 8.8. C. buffer phrases, we hit the facts hard. They are that the Axis is continuing its project of encircling: the Mediterranean with air bases, and of seizing that sea by dominating it from the air. This is to be the Axis sequel to the American feats in the Coral Sea and Midway. It is to be aircraft versus surface craft in its fircest form. The battle of the Middle East is the first all out battle for air bases. With every mile that Rommel ad- > vanced eastward, Sicily and Crete have multiplied their value to the

enemy as air bases. When we held Benghazi our planes were only 560 flying miles from Malta. Now Malta is no longer within normal fighter range of any British airfield. From Crete, where enemy airfields are well stocked, to Benghazi is 350 miles, but to Tobruk it is only 215. It is. twice as easy for the enemy to exercise air control over the narrows between Crete and North Africa, with landbased planes, which he can operate from both sides, so Crete multiplies its menace to our forces with every Axis advance. The British sea forces are being squeezed into the eastern pocket of the Mediterranean. Conivoys must fight more furiously to get through. At the same time, the great 'supply line across Africa, along which United States material has been flowing, is placed in peril. RITCHIE THANKS R.A.F. RUGBY, June 18. General Ritchie sent a personal message of thanks to the Air Force for the fine work they had done in the Western Desert, during the last three days. The enemy planes had been fended off, and confusion caused to tank columns, he said. TOBRUK SURROUNDED WITHDRAW ALTO FRONTIER? (Recd. 1.30 p.m.) LONDON, June 18. The Germans, to-night, are shelling Tobruk which is now practically surrounded. The coast road is believed to be the only road open to the east. Tobruk’s big guns occasionally thunderously open up as Germans and Italians force a way towards the perimeter.

Imperial troops relinquished El Duda, under continually increasing pressure by enemy armoured columns and the Luftwaffe. German armoured vehicles are pushing east from Sidi Rezegh. Reports covering their activity to last night indicate they are so far small columns. It is stated in London that in order to keep the Eighth Army intact, General Auchinleck may have decided to withdraw to the Egyptian frontier, the British holding a number of positions between Tobruk and the frontier. For that reason, a withdrawal might be made with light losses.

A Cairo message stressing the importance of the part played by Allied airmen, says: Allied air squadrons are breaking all records for bombing, straffing and fighting. The pilots are often flying from dawn to dusk. Heavy casualties were inflicted on the enemy as he moves eastwards. Rails, and wrecked vehicles and fires are left across the desert.

The “Times’s” correspondent in the Western Desert says: It seems little use attempting to disguise the situation is grave. The bulk of our forces are believed to have fought a way out of El Adem, and El Duda, and Sidi Rezegh, with the dash and bravery characterising British troops in a backs-to-the-wall situation. There are only slight natural positions between Tobruk and the Egyptian frontier, so little can be expected except gallant delaying actions. There is little tendency towards despair, however. We were is as bad a position if not worse, last November, but won through. There are many indications that the enemy have taken a bad knock, and it is unlikely he will be able to take full advantage of his gains. As recently as Wednesday, Lieut.-Gencral Gott, a British corps commander, said: “We have got our tails up, and soon we are going to knock those Germans silly.” Rommel is reported to be bringing up nine-inch seige guns around Tobruk. Fighting is going on for possession of Axiss Tras Sc, also called Democracy Lane, which is a semi-circu-lar road skirting the perimeter at an average distance of six miles. ATTACK ON CONVOYS DESCRIPTION OF CONFLICTS LONDON, June 18. Further details of how British cruisers and destroyers in the Mediterranean mothered the slow-moving convoy bound for Tobruk and Malta through a tornado of lire were told by men aboard the ships on their return to Alexandria. In attacks of unprecedented fury swarms of between 50 and 100 dive-bombers in waves of 10 swept down on the convoy almost incessantly. The Axis forces used every conceivable air, sea, and under-water weapon. Besides the Malta-bound convoy from Gibraltar, another convoy left Alexandria for Tobruk and Malta. The latter was one of the biggest I convoys ever seen in the Mediterranean. Part of the purpose of the convoy from Gibraltar, whose escort included heavy units, was to draw off the Italian fleet, facilitating the passage of ships from Alexandria, which was also powerfully protected. The scheme was partially successful, but did not prevent the convoy from Alexandria from encountering an extraordinarily powerful concentration of Axis fire power. The German High Command claims that from both convoys the British lost 14 merchant vessels and several warships. A British United Press correspondent who was on a cruiser during the operation said the British escort ships stuck by the slow-moving convoy, nursing it through terrific lire in spite of the prospect of attack at any moment by battleships, but Mussolini’s sailors played their old game of bluff and never closed with the British squadron. Beginning a few hours after the convoy left its base, the Axis gave it the works, throwing in the weight 'of its air power from Crete and Africa, and also using dozens of submarines. The fleet maintained a barrage such as no city in the world is capable of. The sky was a great mass of white bursts like a cotton field as thousands of shells went up. Bombs, depth charges, and torpedoes convulsed the sea over the great battle area. Axis aeroplanes crashed in flames, but more came on. The attacks did not cease throughout the jday of June 15, and when night came ;the enemy kept the sky brilliantly | lighted by flares, through which tons jof bombs showered down. Shells I whistled through the night round the I ships, but not once did the convoy’s | guns fire, because the flash of gunjlire would give away the position of the ships. Most of these night attacks were unsuccessful.

Dive-bombers attacked by day and high-level bombers by night. The first torpedo attack came early in the morning of June 15. Searchlights picked up motor torpedo-boats, which were driven off bv a hail of fire. Bombing continued all day long, culminating in the evening in a furious aerial torpedo attack. Submarines followed, and attacks of one kind or another went on endlessly. Every man gave every ounce of his strength, and action stations were maintained throughout the operation. Nobody slept more than an hour or two at a time. The escort ships turned back only when they were sure the convoy got through safely to Malta. The captain of the cruiser, in a speech, congratulated the men on their epic effort on behalf of Malta, which, he said, might not have been able to hold out without their help.

“We have done the job, and will do it again when necessary,” he said. Earlier reports said powerful air squadrons attacked the convoy bound from Gibraltar for Malta south of Sardinia. The results of these attacks are not yet known. LULL AT MALTA. RUGBY, June 18. Recent enemy air activity over Malta has not been on an extensive scale. One enemy machine was shot down by anti-aircraft artillery on Tuesday night. Five German airmen and one of our own pilots have been rescued from the sea near Malta. GREEK REFUGEES. (N.Z.E.F. Official War Correspondent)

CAIRO, June 17. In a despatch written from somewhere in Syria a correspondent says that refugees from Greece who have escaped the horrors of their own country under Nazi occupation are being cared for here by New Zealand soldiers, after having been dispersed to various part of the Middle East. Many have arrived with their wives and children, and even with babes in arms, after harrowing experiences occupying several months. All were delighted to see New Zealand soldiers again. One family ,is renewing a friendship with a soldier they had met a year ago in Greece. “All our people there are awaiting for the day of your return,” they told the New Zealanders. Alter a short period of recuperation in comfortable quarters provided by the army authorities, the refugees show little sign of hardships. They are attended by New Zealand medical officers and the preparation of their meals is supervised by Now Zealand cooks. PLUCKY BRITONS. FIGHTING~IN DESERT. NEW YORK, June 10. “Britons are brave as war prisoners” says Harold Denny in the New York Times, after his return from Germany, where he spent six months in a German prison camp. Denny, who was captured in Libya, watched Britons fighting, and later when they had been made prisoners. They acted similarly in both circumstances. “Courageous, enduring, self-reliant and obstinate, they growl when things are going well,” he says, “but are cheerful and wryly humorous when things are black. The Briton, even when he has experienced the disaster of capture, remains unbeaten. He seldom lets despondency show, but he makes the best of prison life and plans for the future.” Denny strongly contradicts rumours which he has heard in several places since his return to America, that the English are letting the colonial and Dominion troops do their fighting. “I know that such rumours are inspired by the Axis.” he says. “What makes the rumours plausible is the prominent part played by Dominion and colonial troops in every big British offensive. “But what is overlooked is the fact that the British troops are out m flic desert for months, suffering hardships and dangers, while the Dominion ana colonial'troops are enjoying rest or leave in the big cities between battles. “These units from the British Isles live almost unbrokenly in discomfort and privation, patrolling far behind the enemy’s lines. I have seen such units after eight months without a rest. Then, when a big push requires more men, Dominion and colonial troops have been thrown in, but the English, who have already been in the’ desert, play a key part in Ihe drive.”