STRONG ALLIED FORCES

Southland Times, Issue 24756, 29 May 1942, Page 5

STRONG ALLIED FORCES

GREAT BATTLE BEGINS (Rec. 11.50 p.m.) CAIRO, May 27. In addition to the big tank battle raging around Bir Hacheim, a. smaller enemy tank force is attacking our line fronting Gazala, while other enemy forces are attacking our positions at three points between Gazala and Bir Hacheim. The British United Press correspondent with the Bth Army in the Western Desert says: “With even stronger forces than-we had in November the Bth Army is giving Rommel his first shocks in

the battles raging in the Western Desert. I saw the reason when I drove to the front weaving among convoys and reinforcements 100 miles long. I have never in two years of desert warfare seen so many tanks moving up. The main move is an attempt to outflank our positions by a drive around our defences in the Bir Hacheim area, which are arranged so that we have a mobile perimeter stretching out to the desert far from the outer defence positions proper. British tank and armoured units moved in fan formation to meet the advancing Germans and a huge battle began. The Axis must carry water supplies for at least three days or capture our wells in this area, which is very dry. The Axis also began attacks at various points to the north which are not on the map, apparently designed to hold our northern flank. Rommel opened these attacks with heavy artillery and dive-bombers, of which he seems to have had heavy reinforcements.”