AXIS SUPPLIES

Nelson Evening Mail, Volume 77, 10 August 1942, Page 5

AXIS SUPPLIES

ROMMEL’S ARMY IN EGYPT SEVERE BLOWS DEALT DESTRUCTION OF POWER LIGHTERS (Rec. 10.5 a.m.) Rugby, Aug. 9. A severe blow has been dealt Axis supplies by the destruction of over 20 enemy power lighters off the North African coasts in the past three weeks. This is equivalent to at least the loss of 1500 three-ton loaded lorries, says the R A F. Middle East News Service. Naval aircraft, R.A.A.F. light bombers and R.A.F. long-range fighters joined in these operations. In addition to several thousand tons of supplies sent to the bottom, numerous lighters have been destroyed. set on fire or left riddled with cannon shells and machinegun bullets.

Many lighters carried their own guns, and were protected by flak ships and fighters. Despite this, the toil taken is rising daily with the peak on 7th August, when live vessels were accounted for in twelve hours. The same night naval aircraft attacking Mersa Matruh destroyed a further lighter, while at dawn on Bth August an Australian aircraft sank another. The lighters are mostly between 100 and 200 feet in length. The R.A.F. News Service also reports that British fighters were in action over the El Alamein front on Saturday, when enemy air activity.was on an increased scale. Tobruk* harbour was again our chief bomber target on Friday night. Fires were seen to break out in the jetty area and bomb bursts were seen among shipping along the waterfront. From all these operations, including those over Malta, four of our aircraft are missing, but one pilot is believed safe. —8.0. W.

PATROLS ACTIVE OVER WHOLE

FRONT London, Aug. 8. A Cairo communique states: “During the night of 6th and 7th August, our patrols were active over the whole front and in the northern and central sectors our guns shelled enemy positions. Artillery exchanges continued yesterday in the central sector. An Melo9 was shot down in fighter combat. Our light bombers and long-range fighters carried out a successful attack on escorted enemy shipping off Sidi Barrani. Some vessels were sunk and others damaged. There was little air activity over Malta.” —P.A.

AXIS REINFORCEMENTS IN

GREECE WAITING TO GO TO AFRICA Ankara, Aug. 8. It is reliably stated that between 150.000 and 180,000 Italian and German mechanised troops are in Greece waiting to go to Africa, but. are held up in case of a second front in Europe. Two hundred transport planes are daily carrying ice water and vegetables to Germans in North Africa arikt are bringing back wounded.—P.A.

IMPERIAL LOSSES AT TOBRUK

(Rec. 11.30 a.m.) Rugby, Aug. 9. The capture of Tobruk involved the loss of elements of the 201st Guards Motor Brigade and the 32nd Army Tank Brigade. The South African force lost the headquarters of the Second Division and the Fourth and Sixth Infantry Brigades. The Eleventh Indian Brigade was lost. In these major formations were incorporated battalions of the Royal Tank Regiment and infantry regiments of the Coldstream Guards, the Scots Guards, the Worcestershire Regiment and the Queen’s Own Cameron Highlanders. The South African infantry in eluded men from five units. There were also Indian infantry and British artillery, engineers, signal service, and postal units.—B.O.W.