GIVEN NO RESPITE

Otago Daily Times, Issue 25101, 17 December 1942, Page 5

GIVEN NO RESPITE

RETREATING AXIS FORCES BOMBED CONTINUOUSLY LONDON, Dec. 15. Hundreds of Allied planes are attacking Field-marshal Rommel’s forces as they race for cover in the Tripolitania wadis. Even darkness brings no respite for the fleeing enemy, as R.A.F. night fighters then take over the attacking of his strung-out columns. Rommel is relying mainly on mines, with small rearguards to delay the Eighth Army’s pursuit, says the Cairo correspondent of The Times. Practically every yard of the ground harbours a deadly explosive. The utmost circumspection is needed if unnecessary loss of life and material is to be avoided. Speed is not really the most important factor, because it is impossible to catch the fleeing forces, it is wiser for our forces to advance in good condition to attack Rommel where he chooses to stand.

The Cairo cox-respondent of the British United Press says all the German ingenuity was exercised to cover ttie retreat. Anything that can be eaten, drunk, sold, or taken as a souvenir may be wired with death. Revolvers and binoculax-s were wired to explode when moved, though in the latter case German thoroughness over-reached itself, for the lenses had been removed and the trick was detected. Thousands of such traps wei'e laid, as well as mines. One device consists of nests of mines laid on top of one another, buried deep so that 10 or 12 vehicles can roll over them safely before sufficient pressure is built for detonation. False diversions were also made around bad stretches of road. There were even false tyre marks on sandy surfaces to entice unsuspecting drivers on to the mines.

The Daily Telegraph says: “The tide of victory in Libya, having x-olled over the former high-water mark, is this time unlikely to ebb. The present German withdrawal meahs that the Eighth Army has taken only about three weeks to collect its fighting strength 700 miles beyond the scene of the original blow across country of mudbog and sand-bog thickly littered with mines. May we refer to the extx-emely fine bit of work by the Royal Navy, of which so little has been heard during the battle and the pursuit, in getting the port of Benghazi into full operation.” The Telegraph thinks that the Germans may now intend to concentrate all their possible forces on the defence of the Tunisian bridgehead in order to deny us the use of the Mediterranean route, and thus intensify our supply problems. The Times says: “ In spite of the immense supply difficulties for the Eighth Army, Rommel has perceptibly impaired the foundations of the GermanItalian bridgehead in Africa, which now faces 'the prospect of dangerous cross bombing from both sides. If Misurata is captui'ed we will be within long-range fighter distance of Tripoli.”