FIGHTING IN LIBYA 20 DESTROYED

Nelson Evening Mail, Volume 76, 19 June 1941, Page 5

FIGHTING IN LIBYA

20 DESTROYED

ENEMY ATTACKS REPULSED fORWARD TROOPS WITHDRAW SEVERAL HUNDRED PRISONERS BROUGHT BACK (Rec. 9.40 a.m.) Rugby, June 18. A communique issued from headquarters at Cairo states: “In Libya yesterday afternoon we repulsed several attacks. The enemy brought up fresh forces with which he attempted an encirclement movement against our forward troops.As we had accomplished the object of forcing him to disclose his strength and inflicting “heavy casualties on him we withdrew slowly to our forward positions. We brought back several hundred German prisoners, destroying a large number of enemy tanks.”

ENEMY AIRCRAFT IN WESTERN DESERT SIX BRITISH MISSING MANY BOMBING ATTACKS (.Rec., 10.15 a.m.) Rugby, June 18. A R.A.F. Middle East communique states:— “R.A.F. and S.A.A.F. aircraft continued to give active support to operations by our ground forces in the Western Desert yesterday. Our fighters repeatedly engaged enemy aircraft which attempted to attack our troops, and destroyed twelve Junkers 77’s, two Gso’s, and six Messerschmitt 109’s.

“During the day our aircraft were machine-gunning an enemy motor transport on roads in the Gazala and Capuzzo area, and did considerable damage. Our bombers carried out a number of attacks on enemy armoured cars and transport. In the Sidi Omar area bombs fell among tanks and transport, destroying and disabling more than 20 vehicles, and in the same area armoured cars, light tanks and troop concentrations were shot up. “During Monday night heavy bombers attacked a number of targets, hits being registered on the central mole a* d elsewhere in Benghazi harbour. Bombs were dropped on landing grounds at Derna and Gazala, where a number of fires were started, and at Bardia several motor transport vehicles w r ere set on fire and others damaged.

“There is nothing outstanc .ig to report from other fronts. From all these operations six of our aircraft are missing.”—B.O.W.