EBB AND FLOW

New Zealand Herald, Volume LXXVIII, Issue 23969, 20 May 1941, Page 7

EBB AND FLOW

FIGHT FOR SOLLUM - HEIGHTS AGAIN LOST SUCCESS AT TOBBUK (Eecd. 6.40 p.m.) LONDON, May 19 British headquarters in the Western Desert announced last night that the Germans, reassembling their forces which had been scattered by the British in the previous day's fighting, regained some of their positions J; including the heights above Solium. "The German forces are much more heavily armed than the British, but our offensive in the past few days has forced them intp positions where they ire., vulnerable, especially to flank •ttacks," says the communique. British forces still hold Solium itself. This news has reached London since a German report that the enemy has recaptured the town. A communique from British General Headquarters ,in Cairo on Sunday stated:. "In a successful counter-attack delivered on Saturday, Australian troops recaptured a number of strong points in the outer defences of Tobruk ■ and took 25 German prisoners. The enemy again suffered serious losses, including two medium tanks. Our mechanised patrols are continuing aggressive tactics in the Sollutji-Capuzzo-Halfaya area-" Ihe military spokesman in Cairo said the Australians were reoccupying that portion of Tobruk's outer defences which the Germans recently captured Break-Through at Solium The earlier el'ash in which 500 Germans were made prisoners around Solium is described by Mr. Richard McMillan the British United Press correspondent, in a despatch from Halfaya ("Hellfire Pass"/). Ihe British, led by crack regiments. ..broke through the German lines on the Egyptian frontier, entered Libya ai| d gave the Nazis something they have been more accustomed to liive than to receive. A two-pronged drive along the Solium escarpment brought the British tanks" and infantry to Fort Capuzzo, which, changed .hands twice in the course of a battle that lasted all day. The fort is now an unrecognisable heap of rubble. ' The British mechanised infantry Units fought their way to the top of "Hellfire Pass," and caught the enemy machine-gun posts in a withering lire after making an encircling movement, Germans fled to a dried-up riverbod, where they were trapped. Germans Cornered Tanks and other units, including j a famous regiment., pushed rapidly •long the coast road to the outskirts °[ Solium, and simultaneously a pincer movement neatly cornered the Germans in deep crevasses of tho escarpment adjoining "Hellfire Pass." This body of 250 Germans hastily vug holes in the barren side of the escarpment, but uli'ey were bombed and hornbarded from the sky and the land. British -soldiers from the top of the Pass poured a hail of machine-gun bullets into every nook and cranny. Bi the attack on Fort Capuzzo B*r°"U 8 * r °"U groups ot tanks ploughed their Way over the sand, and the infantry followed in lorries until contact was with the enemy. Then, with ■'Muicts fixed, the advance began, bound armoured units. The enemy put "P a still fight, but the British entered the ruins' of the fort before cluing to prepared positions. In the 'eantnne British bombers attacked >6 barracks at Solium, where the ermans > were established in force, "n artillery was brought up and gave beleaguered Germans a "pasting."

MANY THRUSTS

IMPERIAL FORCES SOUTHERN ABYSSINIA MOUNTAINOUS COUNTRY LONDON, May IS Explaining the situation in southern Abyssinia, an East African correspondent describes the area where, after the fall of Addis Ababa. General Gazzera, aged 62, Italy's senior officer in East Africa, took command. Jt is a vast, crude parallelogram, with diagonals 360 miles north-west to soi th-east and ISO miles north-east to soi; til-west, and comprising Lechemti, •Jimma and the central lakes. For a month Imperial troops have thrust inward from Addis Ababa to Abalti, from Adaina to Sciascianianna, from Yavello and Neghelli to Hondo, from Lake Rudolf to Maji, and from Gembela toward Lechemti. The annihilation of General Gazzera's forces is inevitable. They are surrounded and their morale is low. They desert in numbers alter a bombing raid, but in this mountainous country, whose features rise to 14,000 feet, progress is difficult. Determined Resistance One of the most important developments is at the south-east corner of the parallelogram. An attack from Yavello and Neghelli has proceeded in terrible country for fighting. Here the troops afe opposed by Italian forces who, thanks to competent officers, have put up a more determined resistance than at Dessve. Although tho British losses are not severe, they are rather more than normal. The capture of Alghe after prolonged actions on May 10 represents a great military performance. The enemy is holding Gabasire and Adola on these two roads. Meanwhile, the King's African Rifles have pressed on from Adaina, assisted by patriots, but frequently impeded by the effects of rains. One column driving south from the lakes captured a file moving across the Gidu River to Bubisha, west of Lake Sciala. Two Dangers for Enemy The final act of the Abyssinian campaign will possibly be staged in the great circle round Jimma. Without attempting to predict the future, it is obvious that the Italians face two dangers. In certain circumstances the enemy at Lechemti would find it difficult to retire to Jimma. The fall of Sciascianianna imperils the line of retreat of the strong Italian forces now resisting at Gabasire and Adola. Thus the weak points are in the northwest and especially in the south-east corners of this overstretched paiwllelogram.

ESCAPE FROM GREECE EVACUATION OFFICER LONDON, May 18 A small Greek schooner which has arrived at Alexandria brought Lieuten-ant-Corn ma ndcr Nigel Willmott, who directed the evacuation of over 10,000 New Zealanders and Australians from the Attica area, east of Athens, in two nights. The Associated Press of Great Britain eorrsepomlent at Alexandria says Lieutenant-Commander Willmott had many adventures in making his own escape to Alexandria. The small Diesel engine of the schooner, after frequently breaking down, blew up and set (ire to the ship, which later grounded. The crew landed, extinguished the fire and pushed off tho ship.