BUSH ARTILLERY

Timaru Herald, Volume CL, Issue 22043, 16 August 1941, Page 5

BUSH ARTILLERY

Australians At Tobruk

(Rec. 9.0 .m.) CAIRO, August 14. Beginning humbly with the efforts of two Queensland sappers firing a captured Italian gun, the Tobruk bush artillery has become a definite feature of military activity in the fortress, writes the Australian official war correspondent. Manning several varieties of Italian guns, the crew has become quite efficient in the science of quick gunnery in spite of the primitive methods of aiming and ranging that must be used. The bush artillery is stationed well forward in the perimeter. The guns are generally aimed by one member of the crew about fifteen yards behind the gun and taking a sight on the area to be plastered. His comrades manhandle their gun in the direction he Indicates. Generally their ranging shots are wide, but they soon get on the target. Enemy guns have made a numbey of attempts to put them out of action but with no success. These Australian-manned guns have become well-known throughout the garrison. Frequently the commanders of British batteries, when asked for support, answer: “That will be a job for the bush artillery.” Through the call goes and the men rush to their guns. Germans Abandon Efforts The Germans apparently have abandoned hi >es of reducing Tobruk by force. They have built an expensive by-pass road to carry supplies to the Egyptian frontier, states Reuter's correspondent with the advanced units in the Western Desert. The Germans hope to starve out Tobruk and big guns are being used in conjunction with large bomber forces in attempting to paralyse British shipping in the harbour. There is no sign at present that the enemy intends to break the lull in the desert, but forward British troops continue to scour the blazing, barren tablelands, harrying the Axis forces day and night. Patrols bring in a steady flow of Italian and German prisoners. The Italians now outnumber the Germans. In the frontier areas the combined Axis forces have completed their defensive positions in a great aro stretching thirty miles from “Hellfire Pass” across the frontier to a 'oint south-west of Fort Capuzzo. The positions are mainly trench s and camouflaged anti-tank nests. The Germans have copied the British composite columns consisting of infantry in lorries and highly mobile guns. The Italians are allotted the less arduous task of manning the prepared positions, but they are not entrusted with the difficult job of holding the busy salient in the south-west corner of the Tobruk defences.

Hopes of reducing Tobruk appear slight. Larger fighter formations prevent Axis aeroplanes from disrupting shipping and the British pilots bemoan the fact that so far they have not succeeded in bringing raiding aeroplanes to large-scale action. Generally the enemy seems to be concentrating “entirely on defence in face of the daily increasing problems.