ROMMEL’S ATTACK IN CYRENAICA

Southland Times, Issue 24654, 28 January 1942, Page 5

ROMMEL’S ATTACK IN CYRENAICA

SITUATION DESCRIBED AS SERIOUS / (United Press Association—Telegraph Copyright) (Received 1 a.m.) LONDON, January 27. The Daily Mail’s Cairo correspondent says: The situation in Cyrenaica is serious. Once again Rommel is looking very dangerous. The speed of the German thrusts makes it virtually certain that some German transport is now running on British petrol and that some Axis troops are eating British rations. It becomes clearer with each campaign that Cyrenaica’s vital region is not the coast but the desert inland. Jedabaya, Msus and Mekile are the important places, not Derna, Barce and Benghazi. The present issue will be fought out along this inner line, where there is not a drop of water and nothing is growing. Rommel’s move is one of amazing daring. He has left a safe defence line for the purpose of fighting in the open against a force whose size he could not know. The military correspondent of The Times says: The phraseology of the latest Libyan communique does not conceal the fact that the Germans have advanced another 20 miles, making a total of about 150 from El Agheila. Slight consolation can he derived from the theory that ground in Cyrenaica does not matter, because it matters very much if the ground holds advanced dumps of stores and supplies. Unfortunately, we were not ready in time to get our blow in first. This counts for a great deal in this type of warfare. Rommel, who received reinforcements, struck too quickly. It may be expected that the enemy will shortly be further reinforced from a convoy which reached Tripoli. The latest official news from Cairo is that there has been little change in the situation in Cyrenaica in the past 24 hours.