NOW PAST DERNA

Otago Daily Times, Issue 24835, 7 February 1942, Page 7

NOW PAST DERNA

AXIS DRIVE IN LIBYA BRITISH PATROLS ACTIVE LONDON Feb. 5. An Italian communique claims that the Axis troops have passed Derna and are continuing the pursuit of the enemy eastwards. The Berlin radio stated: " Field-mar-shal Rommel will advance only as far as military reasons demand and not a step farther. We shall not let ourselves be caught in a trap." The radio declared that Mr Churchill attributed to Rommel the intention of capturing the whole of Africa and parts nearest in Asia. ( A Middle East war communique states: "Our patrols and mobile columns were active along the whole of our front yesterday. Our Air Force carried out continuous fighter sweeps over our forward troops, while our bombers successfully engaged a number of enemy columns, destroying a number of vehicles." , An R.A.F. Middle East communique says: "Further details are now avail-able-of operations carried out by, our fighter and bomber aircraft over Cyrenaica during Tuesday. Offensive sweeps by fighter aircraft in the Derna and Carmusa.regions caused casualties among enemy personnel, and enemy vehicles were destroyed or damaged* Bomber aircraft successfully attacked motorised units west of Derna and in the Lamlada district, scoring direct hits and starting fires among enemy columns. Road communications in the Benghazi-Barce-Benina . area were .bombed during the night of TuesdayWednesday. -"' ■ " During Wednesday fighter sweeps were maintained in the forward area, many vehicles being successfully machine-gunned. Objectives in Sicily were also raided by our aircraft on Wednesday. Bombs straddled a goods train near Carini, and a railway bridge was attacked with good results! During the same day enemy aircraft resumed their attacks on Malta. A large force, strongly escorted by bombers, was intercepted by our fighters, which damaged several of the raiding aircraft. Eight of our aircraft are missing."