British Probe the Tobruk Defences

Manawatu Times, Volume 66, Issue 17, 21 January 1941, Page 5

British Probe the Tobruk Defences

NTT.VES or ITALIANS SHOW SIGNS Or STRAIN GUNB MOVING UP LONDON. Jan. 19. British patrols are daily making eon tact with the enemy when penetrating the outer defence* of Tobrnk. says the Dally Telegraph’s special correspondent in the Western Deeert. The patrols are obtain--1 lag fall and accurate details of the / defence scheme. k '/ The Italian garrison appears to be very nervous. Furious shelling always follows the slightest British movement within five miles of the outer defences. A senior British officer, commenting on this nervousness, contrasted the courage and enterprise of the British patrols investigating the defences with the Italian abstinence from anything approaching individual action. The correspondent adds that guns, munitions, and supplies are constantly moving up to the battlefield. The attack will apparently be made by a force equipped as far as possible with new material. Much work has also been done to render the captured Italian airfields usable and to improve the landing facilities at Solium and Bardia for the British supply organisation.

’ The RAF. communique states: “On the night of January 17-18, our bombers raided Tobruk. A huge fire was caused near some petrol dumps, but the other damage could not be observed owing to the weather. All the bombs, however, fell well in the target area. One Italian S-81 bomber was shot down by the Australian squadron. “In Italian East Africa, a large transport yard at Assab was bombed and several direct hits were registered. “Bombs were dropped on military buildings at Hargeisa, British Somaliland, while an enemy camp five miles east of Umm Haggar was attacked and fires were started.

“During the night of January 17-18, Asmara was raided, the bombs falling in the target area. The resulting damage, however, was not observed owing to low cloud.

“All our aircraft returned safely with the exception of one fighter, which so far has not returned from patrol in Libya.'*