PARACHUTE TROOPS

Otago Daily Times, Issue 25208, 24 April 1943, Page 5

PARACHUTE TROOPS

BRITISH GUERRILLA UNITS OUTSTANDING SERVICE (Rec. 11 p.m.) LONDON, Apl. 22. An outstanding part has been played by the British parachutists in the last three months. They went to North Africa untried, but they have always been in the thickest fighting, and in the early stages proved excellent guerrillas, harrying the enemy in the mountains. Latterly, thev have been employed only as infantry, in which capacity they have shown themselves first-class troops, both in assault and defence.

Since the campaign began, the parachutists have taken 2400 prisoners, a number far exceeding their own casualties, and have also inflicted 7000 enemy casualties. In recent fighting on a northern road they found themselves by a coincidence opposed to German parachutist; and glider troops, who are also used as infantry, but they proved more than a match for them. Once a small patrol of parachutists surrounded an enemy strong-point, killing 12 and capturing 13 enemy without a single loss to themselves, On another day they captured 200 Germans and buried 300 enemy dead, while their own casualties were less than 100.

ROMMEL ILL? (Rec. 8 p.m.) NEW YORK, Apl. 22. Marshal Rommel has returned to Germany suffering from a severe attack of malaria and a nervous breakdown. The Stockholm correspondent of the New York Times quotes military sources in Berlin for this statement. He adds that General von Arnim has taken command of the Afrika Korps.