SOLLUM RETAKEN

Manawatu Standard, Volume LXI, Issue 142, 17 May 1941, Page 7

SOLLUM RETAKEN

BY WAVELL’S MEN. IMPORTANT ACTION. LONDON, May 16. j Hie capture is reported by J General Wavell’s men of Solium, ! Die town just inside the Egyptian bonier with Libya, which the Germans entered on April 28. The town has thus changed hands four times since the war began. As the result of a limited operation | by our covering troops, a Cairo report Isavs, in tlie capture ot Solium we inflicted severe casualties and a number of German prisoners were taken.

AIRMEN’S GOOD WORK. (British Official Wireless.) (Rec. 12 noon.) RUGBY, May 16. An R.A.F. Middle East General Headquarters communique states that in Cyrenaica heavy attacks were made on enemy mechanised units and troop concentrations. Yesterday, between Solium and Halfaya. the enemy were constantly harassed by bomb attacks. Between Bardia and Tobruk our fighters machine-gunned motor transport, causing considerable damage. They destroyed ammunition and petrol lorries and our fighters engaged and damaged several enemy aircraft. During the night of May 14-15 R.A.F. Iximbers raided Benghazi and Benina and large fires were caused. A series of very heavy explosions took place.

ATTACKS IN ABYSSINIA. In Abyssinia, in an attack on Amba Alagi aircraft of the Rhodesian squadron carried out a series of raids. Ihe fort at Toselli was attacked and ten direct hits registered. Air support was also given our troops operating in Central Abyssinia. i The Gondar aerodrome was bombed jby Free French aircraft and some | enemy fighters on the ground were severely damaged. MAN VERSES TANK ENEMY’S BITTER EXPERIENCE LONDON, May 15. “It has been man against tank round Tobruk, and the individual soldier has shown that he is able to beat the tank,” a high staff officer declared. “There have been many instances in which carelully-camouflaged English and Australian troops ' single-handed have waited for the approach of a. German tank. Their tactics have been to jump on the tank, smash tlie caterpillar tractor with an iron bar. and then throw a ‘Molotov’ cocktail through the ventilators. “These ‘cocktails’ arc identical with those the Home Guard is using in Britain, and they have accounted for many burnt-out- tanks lying round Tobruk's defences. The crews are burnt alive or escape screaming from the flaming vehicles. The Tobruk garrison is busily engaged making the ‘cocktails.’ To use them requires great heroism, but it works.

“The fighting is going on in terrible heat. The temperature in the shade between Bugbug and Sollunt is 118 degrees.”