Deadly Strafing From Air Continues

Manawatu Times, Volume 67, Issue 271, 16 November 1942, Page 5

Deadly Strafing From Air Continues

.By Telegraph —Press Assn.—Copyright.) Received Sunday, 7.30 p.m.

LONDON, Nov. 14. The Eighth Army is racing on Rommel’s rearguard. The actions now are small affairs and are not delaying the British armoured forces in the slightest. The advance is so fast that it is most difficult even to get within sound of the gunfire, says Reuter’s correspondent. One no sooner is within hearing distance of a skirmish than the fighting moves on and nothing is left except a few more Axis trucks, a gun or two and a handful of tired and dirty German and Italian prisoners. The Royal Engineers aie going ahead and clearing up mines along the roads, allowing the supply convoys to get through. The greatest army of trucks over assembled in the Middle East—r thousands of them in gxeat convoys—are rolling westward. Every old desert track is being used to keep the armoured and motorised forces in the van supplied with ammunition, fuel, food and water. The Germans are now well west of Derna and the Eighth Army is pressing toward Mekili. Our medium bombers and heavy bombers on Thursday night bombed groups of transport between Derna and Cyrene and started a dozen large fires. One bomb hi: a lorry near Giovanni Berta, producing an explosion violently shaking a plane flying at 6000 feet. ‘ ‘ Our troops pursuing the retreating enemy westward of Tobruk have cleared them from Cyrenaica as far as Gazala, 40 miles beyond Tobruk,” says Saturday’s Cairo communique. “Some German prisoners were taken in Tobruk. During Thursday night our bombers and fighters continued to attack enemy columns retreating westward of Gazala. The scale of the operations increased as our squadrons moved their bases further into Cyrenaica.

“The Tunis aerodrome was heavily bombed and machine-gunned on Thursday night. Petrol dumps, workshops, hangers and aircraft were destroyed. “On Friday our long-range fighters attacked a formation of about 60 aircraft flying northwards towards Sicily. Seven large aircraft were destroyed and about six others badly damaged (This is additional to the six troopcarrying aircraft we destroyed in this area the previous day.) From these and other operations three of our aircraft are missing.” Cairo messages report that the fleeing Germans made no attempt to stand in the strongly-fortified positions at Gazala, the scene of terrific actions in former campaigns, and there is evidence that they are well westward of Derna. The enemy is being heavily bombed as he flees.

Now that the air battle of Egypt is over the air battle of Cyrenaica has begun. Although the Germans are carrying out one of the most rapid retreats in history, Allied fighters are keeping up. Continuing the pursuit or the retreating enemy ever deeper into Cyrenaica, R.A.F. medium and heavy bombers on Thursday night attacked targets in Derna and beyond. In Derna very large fires were blazing. Motor transport between Gazala and Lumluda were solidly attacked on Friday and direct hits were scored on trucks full of troops.

Aerial photos show the tremendous damage done in Thursday night’s raid on the Tunis aerodrome by the Malta bombers. It is not clear whether the 60 enemy planes we intercepted were carrying troops. They may have been leaving Tripoli with enemy troops or going back to Sicily for more. It is stated in London that including base units at such places as Benghazi and Tripoli and adequate airfield garrisons, the best estimate now is that there are between 60,000 and 100,000 Germans scattered over Cyrenaica and Libya. Most of them, however, are not fighting troops. There are probably also not a very formidable number of tanks, some of which have perhaps been landed since the retreat Began, Referring to Mussolini’s infantry divisions left to their fate in Egypt, an Agency correspondent says that large numbers of prisoners marching hack in tne direction of Cairo are unescorted—they are marching towards food and drink. The Italians are very bitter against the Germans. Germans and Italians are driving their own trucks full of prisoners into the camps and then returning for more. Over 4000 South African troops were released when the Allies entered Tobruk. They had been employed as dock labourers. ihe Daily Mail’s Cairo correspondent says the emaciated captives sang ana danced in the battered streets after they were released and loudly cheered their first issue of English food ana cigarettes. ITALIANS FIRE ON GERMANS IN TOBRUK The South African native prisoners of war released witu the recapture or xobruk scale that most of the retreating German forces Dypassed Tooruk, wnrch was garrisoned by Italians. Some panzer troops went into Tooruk and demanded food, water and other supplies rrom the Italians. After an argument the Italians opened macnine-gun tire on the Germans wno replied witu tommyguns. some of the Germans were kiliea, after wuicn the remainder nurriedly withdrew and were fast seen heading westwards. The prisoners of war were orutaiiy treated. They were awakened at dawn and forced to march three miles from them camp to the docks waere they worked all day with only Mscuits and water at midday. They were marcued baca to camp after sunset. The prisoners were not allowed to rest for a moment. Those who sat down In weariness were clubbed with rifles and any who compmined was stripped, tied to a pole and left without food an day. A German officer shot a native who refused to work in the docks because of the heavy Allied bombing. Tne air raids killed hundreds of Italians.