ENGINEERS' GREAT WORK

Manawatu Standard, Volume LXIII, Issue 22, 24 December 1942, Page 5

ENGINEERS' GREAT WORK

LONDON, Dec. 22. The special correspondent of the Times with the Eighth Army says that the most advanced sappers clear a road, working day and night, and others make deviations around tho worst sections and around holes or demolished bridges, the vicinity of which isalso infested with mines. Parties from the main body complete the work of the more forward units. They fill in holes, build temporary bridges where this is unavoidable, repair telegraphs, decontaminate water, and remove booby-traps from buildings. The Royal Engineers' technique is so excellent that it is possible to clear a road at the rate of 25 miles a day. Many camp sites are transformed into a veritable minefield, and cross-country routes, even where no track exists, are also mined, but sapper perspicuity has saved many vehicles. Tho latest German trick is the "jumping jack" or "fishhook" mine, which leaps chest-high and strikes the victim on the chin before exploding in his face.

A special highly-mobile branch of the engineers is dealing with airfields which arc specially infested with mines. They raised 600 mines on the captured Marble Arch airfield alone. The confidence, intelligence, morale, and good humour of tho British and Dominion troops notably assisted in this "delousing". A special correspondent of the Times with the Eighth Army says that the "delousing" of minefields is carried out by the leap-frogging which the British sappers are forced to undertake throughout tho advance. "It has been done so efficiently by mobile sappers that it enables us to keep on Rommel's heels with unabated momentum, almost after leaving El Alamein," ho says. "The 'delousing' parties use an electrical device resembling a vacuum carpet-sweeper which possesses headphones. When swept over the ground it emits a constant low tone, the pitch rising sharply when in the neighbourhood of metal, which, however, may only be an old tin."

ENEMY COHESION LESS

Air reconnaissance brings welcomo reports of the enemy's rearguards' lessened cohesion, but no army has lost so few men and weapons in a retreat. This is duo to our overwhelming strength, forcing the enemy to avoid anything but the merest show of lighting, if he wants to take back his remaining tanks, guns and transport. Though there are reports of the _ Germans digging in in various wndis, including Zamzam, near Misurata it is clear that the cneuiv's best defensive lines are already passed and his obstacle strewing is tantamount to tactics of despair. The change of direction of the coastline north of Sirte coincides with the greater fortility of the hinterland and a better water supply, giving the attacker opportunities similar to Cyrenaica. Zamzam and other wacfis may be abandoned after a token brush. The Official Wireless states: Eighth Army patrols continue to pursue the onomy, with New Zoalanders well out in front, according to a Cairo message. The onomy is still retreating as fast, as he can after the usual delaying action in which 88 mm. guns of tho not very numerous artillery desultorily shelled tho Eighth Army's light armour, which is continually and daringly prodding the Germans. The enemy is utilising the full moon to hasten his retreat, but is lying hidden in the daytime in wadis. This small delaying action was carried out less to savo his fighting units than to give his sappers time to carry out elaborate mining, resulting in the greatest collection of obstacles in the wake of an army's retreat in all history. Tho renewal of activities by tho Luftwaffe which bombed airfields at Benghazi last Saturday and Sunday nights suggests that bases have been selected for the intended pause in the retreat.