ENEMY TROUBLED.

Manawatu Standard, Volume LXII, Issue 28, 2 January 1942, Page 5

ENEMY TROUBLED.

! 'BARDIA AREA RAIDED. I (United frees Association—Copy right.) (Rec. 12.3.5 p.m.) RUGBY, Jan. ]. I A Cairo Headquarters communique |states: "Activity in the Jedabaya j area has been less marked during the [last 24 hours than but i our forces have continued to harass ' the main enemy forces in that area. Specially effective support has been offered by our air forces, who have carried out heavy attacks on many motor-vehicle concentrations .near Jedabaya and against the enemy's supply columns on the road to the Vvcst. "Yesterday South African troops, supported by British tank and. artillery units, penetrated enemy ]x>sitions in the southern sector of the Bardia deiences, capturing several posts and taking about 600 prisoners, including a number of Germans. Our casualties are believed to have been light." lesterday the enemy in the Jedabaya area again , employed the whole of their remaining tank strength, supported by infantry, with the object of trying to prevent our envelopment of their southern flank. A heavy engagement ensued in which we again inflicted considerable damage on enemy j armoured fighting vehicles and motor] transport. In the southern area our artillery successfully attacked enemy concentrations inside the perimeter deiences of Bardia. Our medium artillery also engaged a small vessel seen in Bardia. harbour and sank it with a direct hit.

Our air forces yesterday carried out sweeps over the area of operations, causing considerable damage and starting fires among 1 ' enemy motor transport colcmns. A number of important targets in Bardia, were also successfully attacked.

It is officially stated in London that the British losses in the latest tank engagement around Jedabaya. where the enemy claimed the destruction of 74 tanks, were in fact very slight indeed, but the exact figures cannot yet be disclosed. —Official Wireless.