DARING ACTION

Manawatu Standard, Volume LXI, Issue 193, 17 July 1941, Page 7

DARING ACTION

OPERATIONS AT TOBRUK. ENEMY’S BIG LOSSES. (United Press Association —Copyright) (Rec. 10 a.m.) RUGBY, July 16. The information in an enemy communique which described the British raid at Tobruk of July 12 as “a determined attempt to break out of Tobruk” is well supported by an account of the raid reaching-. authoritative quarters in London.

is The raid was carried out astride the Yjroad from Tobruk to Bir el Gobi, 38 ■ s miles south of Tobruk, by a patrol >. of 40 men and one tank-hunting platir ooti (a small body of men specialising :r in methods of dealing with tanks), supported by artillery and machincd gun fire from positions on the periff meter. The object was to inflict casualties and secure identifications. 5. The British inflicted over 500 casual- . ties anti also brought back five Italian [I prisoners, achieving the desired idenn tification. 0 No tanks were encountered and the British casualties were ten wounded h and three missing. I What must be the shortest Middle .’ East communique from British Head’e quarters at Cairo states that on all tronts there is no -change in the situa--0 tion.—Official Wireless. ° GALLANTRY OF TOBRUK. 1. e “DETERMINED TO STICK IT | OUT.” LONDON, July 16. [ The British Associated Press correspondent from inside Tobruk writes: y “I can tell the world we are deter'mined to stick it out, and we are confident of the result.” Thus is epitom- ‘ ised the spirit of the Australian and j British soldiers holding Tobruk against 1 tlie mighty crack Panzer divisions. A „ few thousand men form a threatening j bulge in the side of any Axis attempt to advance towards Egypt. After more than three months the! ■ guns of Tobruk are seldom stilled. The r Australians, strongly entrenched bc--3 | hind miles of barbed wire sweeping in *! a semi-circle around Tobruk, defend *' ! themselves aggressively against ah 3 I attacks. Reliefs move up just as they I did in France. 3 j The trenches are narrower than in l tlie last war, so narrow that two men a can barely pass. Mortars and bombs f make this necessary. No longer is 1 there a man to every yard. Gunfire - counts there. The strong points are i bristling with machine-guns, anti-tank ) and tommy guns. ’The are i equipped with several days’ food and i ammunition. j ; ENEMY IN RETREAT. , They cut off a recent German tank drive and crippled many others. I lie enemy retreated in wild disorder and it needed all the available troop-carry- ■ ing Junkers to pick up the enemy ■ casualties. ' The Australians counter-attacked on ! * June 25 and penetrated 500 yards on j aZOOO-yarit trout, cutting a large slice! 1 off the bulging salient. The patrols j * then calmly and heroically crept out | < through the barbed wire and esiablish- ‘ cd listening posts close to the enemy ; lines. One officer climbed a telegraph ■ post to direct the machine-gun fire. A > corporal finding himself oil the wrong side of an Italian post ordered his 1 men to charge. He smashed the field : telephone with- a lightning kick before the startled Italians could open 1 fire. The Tobruk defenders appreciate the valiant work of the Navy in bring- ■ > ing food and ammunition, and running the gauntlet of Stukas and U-boats. Often during unloading operations and when drafts of men arc leaving Tobruk they,climb aboard under a rain of bombs and heavy shell-fire. ( HEROIC END. ! LONDON, July 16. 1 Broken under a shower of bombs [ from 50 Stukas and 30 Messerschmitts, ‘ 11.M.5. Auckland, the sloop whose ' sinking was recently announced by the ' Admiralty, went down of!' Tobruk, 1 firing all her guns till she disappeared. Before the Auckland went down she £ accounted for seven enemy aircraft, a Fifteen members of her crew were 1 killed. t