CUTTING AXIS

Gisborne Herald, Volume LXVIII, Issue 20619, 21 November 1941, Page 6

CUTTING AXIS

BUSINESS RESUMED CUNNINGHAM FIRM NEW MEMBER JOINS THREE-SERVICE COMBINE (Elec. To!. Copyright—United Press Assn.) (Reed. Nov. 21. 2 p.m.) LONDON, Nov. 20. The "old Pi cm" is in business again —the old firm of Cunningham and Cunningham. Now they have been joined by a new partner, who, by a curious coincidence, has an almost similar name—Convngham, whose name is pronounced Cunningham. The Cunningham of Abyssinia, Sir Alan, commands the desert land forces. The Cunningham of Taranto and Mata pan, Sir Andrew, the general's admiral brother, is on the general's right flank at sea. At the general's side, close enough for hourly conferences, is the "Cunningham” of the air force, Air ViceMarshal Arthur Conyngham, the Air Officer ommanriing in the Western Desert.

So the world watches and awaits the events of which Cunningham, Cunningham and Conyngham are the architects and builders. Stockholm newspapers publish reports of the British offensive in Libya, which is attracting very great interest throughout Sweden - . German anti Italian Versions The Lyons radio, broadcasting the German version of the Middle East offensive similarly to the Vichy radio, adds that a deluge of rain stopped the battle. A Rome communique for the first time admits the British offensive. It is officially announced in Rome that the Italians in Libya are determinedly "counter-manoeuvring against the British, whose advance is only across the desert of the frontier area, which is not garrisoned by the Italians. Therefore the advance is merely an approach to the Axis lines, which have not been penetrated. The battle continues on a 150-kilometre front.”

A German communique claims that the British forces were known to have been stationed in prepared position; south and south-west of Sidi Omar for some days before the attack began. “As a result of immediate counterattacks by German and Italian units, strong British forces west of Sidi Omar were thrown back with heavy losses,” states the Nazi communique.