NORTH AFRICA

Grey River Argus, 17 September 1941, Page 5

NORTH AFRICA

LAND FIGHTING Increases Around Tobruk [British Official Wireless]. RUGBY, Sept. 15. A Middle Eeast communique, issued at Cairo Headquarters to-day. states: During the night of September 13-14 our patrofs . from Tobruk intensified their activity, carrying out a series of brilliant raids against enemy ’ positions facing the eastern sector of our defences; An Italian officer and three other ranks were captured from one strong point. At two other strong P° in t?>. cl °se fighting took place, in which the enemy sustained heavy casuait.es, leaving 20 killed and two prisoners in our hands. In addition, one field gun and one anti-aircraft gun weie a strong enemyforce, supported by a number ot tanks, engaged and over-ran by sheer weight of numbers, one of our listening posts, containing six men. Three German tanks employed in this operation were subsequently engaged and captured by British tanks, and the enemy concentration was dispersed bv heavy artillery fire. In the frontier area, two enemy columns, containing armed fighting vehicles, carried out a reconnaissance in force, penetrating some miles across the frontier. Under cover of close air support, advanced elements of our mechanised forces engaged these columns, inflicting considerable damage and losses upon them. One German medium tank, complete witn crew, was captured. Both enemy columns are now withdrawing, closely followed by British troops j Lu A. 1 iLi v.

Two enemy columns, consisting mainly of German troops, which carried out a reconnaissance in force on - Sunday in the frontier area, penetrated about 30 or 40 miles inside the frontier, and about 35 miles south of Sofafi, states an agency message from Cairo. They have since been driven back to the starting point, it is stated, thus being completely routed by. the pursuing British troops. AIRCRAFT ACTIVE RUGBY, Sept. 15. An official communique records an enemy raid on Alexandria, early this morning, when bombs were dropped, causing injuries to two persons and slight damage to property. Growing liveliness in the North African theatre of war was made clear in to-day’s Cairo Headquarters communique. It is reflected in an R A.F Middle East communique, which states: Strong forces of bombers of the South African Air Force yesterday attacked enemy motor transport and armoured fighting vehicles dispersed in the frontier area. A large number of bombs fell among vehicles. Many direct hits were observed, and fires of considerable dimensions broke out. The last formation of our attacking aircraft. with its fighter escort was engaged by German and Italian fighters. In the ensuing air combats, one Messerschmitt 109 and one Fiat G5O were destroyed and others were badly damaged. One of our bombers and three fighters are missing. Another force of our fighters carried out an attack on a large concentration of enemy aircraft on the Gambut landing ground. The attack wejs successful, and a large number of enemy aircraft were destroyed or badly damaged. An Italian 579 was shot down in the frontier zone. During Saturday night, heavy R.A.F. bombers raided Tripoli, Benghazi and Barce. At Tripoli, bombs - were dropped on shipping in the harbour and at the Spanish Quay. Many bursts were observed on and near ships in the harbour and at the quayside. At Zuara, a large ship, believed to be part of the remnants of the convoy successfully attacked bv the Fleet Air Arm and the R.A.F. X in the central Mediterranean, was seen blazing furiously. The ship later exploded with great violence. At Benghazi, the harbour and shipping were bombed, while at Barce an > oil storage building was destroyed. Gerbini aerodrome was bombed by Fleet Air Arm aircraft during Saturday night. The crew of one of our aircraft, . lost in the Mediterranean on Friday have now been brought to safety. In addition to t those mentioned above, one other aircraft is missing. • An additional R.A.F. Middle East communique stated: In addition to the three enemy planes, one G5O, one MEIO9 and one S7B, mentioned in yesterday afternoon’s communique, two JUs7’s were destroyed bv antiaircraft fire, and another was compelled to make a crash landing, the crew being captured. The attack by our fighters on the Gambut landing ground yesterday afternoon, was very successful. A , number of enemy planes were sev-t erely damaged. Last night, an attack on the same landing ground was renewed by aircraft of the Fleet Air Arm. Their bombing attacks resulted in the destruction of eight enemy aircraft, which were left in flames and some half a dozen others damaged. In these intensive days and night operations, therefore, the R.A.F., S.A.A.F. and the Fleet Air Arm, between them destroyed 11 enemy aircraft. Three more were destroyed by anti-aircraft fire, making 14 in all. Many others were severely damaged. Two of our aircraft are missing, in addition to the five previously announced. Two pilots are known to be safe. AXIS TROOPS ENTER EGYPT NOW FORCED BACK (Rec. 12.10) CAIRO, Sept. 16. Axis forces made a double column sweep across the frontier. This is mentioned in a Cairo communique. The enemy penerated a distance of 30 or 40 miles inside of Egypt, about 35 miles south of Sofaf. The enemy has now definitely been driven back to his starting-point in Libya.