NEARING BEURAT

Manawatu Standard, Volume LXIII, Issue 25, 29 December 1942, Page 5

NEARING BEURAT

EIGHTH ARMY'S ADVANCE ENEMY MINING ..ROADS LONDON, Dec. 28. Tho advanced troops of the Eighth Army arc nearing Beurat, from which place the road runs round a great salt marsh to Misurata, the port at which it was earlier stated that Rommel might make a stand. Tho enemy, a correspondent reports, is still sowing mines and booby-traps along the roads. A Middle East joint communique quoted by the Official Wireless states: Yesterday our troops were in contact with the enemy in the Wadi Boi el Kebir area, 40 miles Vest of Sirtc. There were no important air operations over the battle area yesterday. With its arrival at Wadi Bei el Kebir the Eighth Army has covered more than half the distance to Tripoli from Mersa Brcga, where the present advance began. All of this stretch has been desert, but the remaining 190 miles is well watered, especially beyond Misurata, which is 85 miles ahead. The gap between the Allied forces at either end of the Mediterranean is narrowed to about 450 miles and El Alamein is now left nearly 800 miles behind. On the other side oi the gap the stnge is set for the next phase of the fighting in Tunisia, which is increasing as larger forces are brought up.