RETREAT FROM GAZALA

Southland Times, Issue 24773, 18 June 1942, Page 5

RETREAT FROM GAZALA

ENEMY ENCIRCLING MOVEMENT FAILS

(Rec. 7 p.m.) LONDON, June 16. Satisfaction is expressed in London that the enemy effort to cut off the British troops in the Gazala salient by an advance northwards in the Acroma area has failed. The Italian claim to have reached the sea, therefore, has little meaning as by the time the Italians had done so the two British divisions holding the line running south from Gazala had rejoined the main forces around Acroma. Today’s report also shows that the two main British fortified points, Acroma and El Adem, both covering Tobruk, are standing firm against all attacks. It is noted that the enemy’s movements continue to be successfully harassed by British mobile columns operating between the strong points, as well as by aircraft. The main fighting in Libya is now raging in the region of the Acroma and El Adem boxes. Reports from Cairo this afternoon stated that the British were still holding Acroma at midday and that the British garrison holding the Knightsbridge box had been withdrawn for some days. The El Adem box is besieged by Axis infantry who are digging in beyond the range of the strongpoint’s artillery while Italian and German tanks mill around the box to check any British attempt to break out. The El Adem aerodrome, two miles north of the box, is in Axis hands and is now a gathering point for Axis tanks. Some reports say that fighting is going on within sight of Tobruk. WITHDRAWAL FROM ESCARPMENT

In the Acroma region Field-Marshal Rommel’s forces are within three miles of the Gazala-Tobruk road, which is only two miles from the Mediterranean. The Imperial forces have been withdrawn from the Acroma escarpment.

One strong enemy patrol to the east of El Adem is being engaged in the area of El Duda and Sidi Rezegh. The Italians and the Germans hold Tamar from which artillery, including howitzers, is shelling Acroma and the Gazala-Tobruk road. Despite the shellfire Allied transport is moving freely along the road, enabling the Allies to hold off the Axis attempts to reach the highway along the coast. The Imperial troops were withdrawn from Gazala through this narrow bottle-neck under cover of determined fighting by the Acroma troops, and the Ist Armoured Division, who beat off repeated Axis attempts to reach the road.

German armoured columns today made a three-pronged thrust from positions south of the El Adem-El Duda road. The first, which directly attacked the El Adem box, was repulsed by Indians. The second passed east of El Adem and then struck north-west and joined up with the first prong. The third prong deployed a light screen along the El Adem-El Duda road. . *

South of El Adem Imperial mobile troops are constantly attacking the enemy’s flank. One report says: “We are cutting up the Axis transport on an unprecedented scale. Indian mobile troops stormed a laager in which the Germans were repairing 26 tanks and destroyed the tanks with explosives and gunfire.” A correspondent states that the entire battle is under a dust-screen churned up by tanks, artillery, lorries and ambulances which are ceaselessly threading the roads and tracks. The heat is intense. British and Axis planes roar over the dust blanket, which affords some protection against strafing, because it is too risky for fighters to swoop blind through the swirling dust clouds, although full advantage is taken of momentary patches. ASSAULTS ON EL ADEM Axis tanks and motorized infantry made three fierce assaults against El Adem yesterday. The first was from the west, in which infantry, advancing before an artillery barrage, were mown down before they were able to cut the wire or lob grenades on our strongly entrenched posts. The second, from the north-west, was launched just before noon and was supported by strong tank formations. It was also beaten off. The third came from the south-west. After our Bofors and heavy anti-tank guns had scorched the enemy lines the infantry wavered and fell away, leaving many dead. British prisoners recovered from the enemy in the El Adem area stated that they and their captors were without water for 48 hours. The Daily Telegraph’s correspondent in the Western Desert states that a steady stream of Allied artillery and tank reinforcements is moving westward. Both sides are now throwing in more and more infantry, while their armoured strength is being built up again. Berlin radio, quoting German military circles, states that 2000 Free Frenchmen taken prisoner at Bir Hacheim have been interned in special camps and treated as prisoners of war, instead of guerrillas.