BRITISH HIT BACK

Southland Times, Issue 24764, 8 June 1942, Page 5

BRITISH HIT BACK

COUNTER-ATTACK IN LIBYA HEAVY PRESSURE ON NAZI UNITS (Rec. 9 p.m.) LONDON, June 6. Preceded by the heaviest artillery preparation’in the history of desert warfare the British launched a counter-attack in Libya and reached their first objective. Reuters correspondent at Knightsbridge says the attack was launched at dawn yesterday against the hardpressed Axis units in the minefields gap around Trigh Capuzzo. The Axis forces have been desperately attempting to turn the battle into their own channels by over-running the Free French positions at Bir Hacheim on the Allies’ southern flank before the Allied forces swung into action and were in a position to hit harder. As big “General Grants” and other tanks moved off into “the Devil’s Cauldron,” east of the gap in the British minefields, against the remnants of FieldMarshal Rommel’s Panzers, they were not seriously molested by the Luftwaffe and British artillery kept up a pounding of the hard-pressed enemy positions. This suggests that General Ritchie is “softening up” the battle area before launching a new tank offensive in “the Devil’s Cauldron.” Squadron after squadron of bombcarrying Hurricanes and Kittyhawks screamed over the dust covered battlefield to plaster enemy strong points and key routes. The ring of British artillery has drawn closer around the enemy’s concentrations of Panzers at the mouth of the minefields gap. Field Marshal Rommel now has three courses open against General Ritchie: (1) To stand at bay and fight it out in the Cauldron. (2) To attempt a desperate counterattack to break the Allied manacles. (3) To withdraw from the bridgehead at the mouth of the minefields gap. Cooler and better weather has spread over the Libyan battle area in the past 24 hours. News is now expected of a renewal of full scale fighting and possibly the beginning of the third and grimmest phase of the great armoured battle. VITAL BATTLE Interviewed by a correspondent of The Sunday Times in the Western Desert General Conyngham stressed the vital character of the Cauldron battle, which he said would decide the results of this campaign. He added, “The enemy must be getting pretty worried about his vaunted Stukas. Allied pilots during the first part of the present battle concentrated against tanks and infantry and did damned well. Now we have got the edge on the enemy and the boys have time for other pursuits. “I have had them out Stuka hunting recently around Bir Hacheim and they have done a pretty piece of business to those overrated Nazi crates. These Nazis are truculent so and sos. I do not speak to them when they are brought in. There are already enough blots on the desert landscape without my seeing any more unnecessarily. “What I am interested in is killing as many as possible, and these are my orders to the pilots. The enemy has plenty of planes. Benghazi is crowded with ships unloading about 2000 tons daily, but we are not worried. It will be grand booty when we reach it.” GALLANT FREE FRENCH The Free French Forces beleaguered around Bir Hacheim sent the following message to Air Vice Marshal Conyngham, “Bravo merci pour la R.A.F.” Air Vice Marshal Conyngham said: “Bravo, thanks for the game.” A French war correspondent, cabling an account of the fine resistance of the Free French troops at Bir Hacheim says: After nine days of almost continuous fighting in great heat and recurrent sandstorms General Joseph Koenig’s men are weary and powder blackened but grimly resolute. The Free French today are enjoying a brief lull while the battle rages to the north and Field Marshal Rommel regroups his much mauled armoured forces preparatory to launching further concerted attacks on Bir Hacheim. j

Senior Free French officers pay tribute to the Royal Air Force’s support and are confident that French resistance will continue as stubborn and defiant as ever. Since the first attack by an Italian armoured division on May 28 more than 1000 Axis tanks as well as countless planes and guns have been flung against Bir Hacheim. Four times General Koenig has been called upon to surrender and on each occasion has given the same forceful, but unprintable, reply. One feature of the Bir Hacheim fighting has been the success of the French 75’s captured from Vichy forces in Syria last year. They have proved extraordinarily useful as anti tank guns. THREAT TO AXIS Latest messages from Cairo say that the Free French by the repulse of attacks against Bir Hachiem have changed from a defensive role and now constitute a serious striking threat to

the Axis forces in this area and also to Axis columns attempting to get supplies around Bir Hacheim. The total Axis tanks lost so far is estimated at 340.