HELD UP BY BAD WEATHER

Timaru Herald, Volume CLIII, Issue 22478, 13 January 1943, Page 5

HELD UP BY BAD WEATHER

Ground Operations In Libya

Eighth Army Strongly

Reinforced

By Telegraph—N.Z. Press Assn.—Copyright (Rec. 10.0» LONDON. Jan. 11. When the next phase of the Libyan campaign does open General Sir Bernard Montgomery will have the full weight of men and material which has characterised the campaign since El Alamein. Both British and German sources indicate that bad weather continues to hold up ground operations though patrols are vigilant. Reuter’s correspondent at Cairo says that behind our forward screen tn Libya supplies continue to roll forward from a base far in the rear for General Montgomery’s next blow, and the German News Agency says that air reconnaissance shows that new troops are being brought up to the Eighth Army. .* The Ankara correspondent of the “Daily Telegraph” says that it is reported, without confirmation, that Rommel has moved his headquarters to Sardinia, which, the correspondent suggests, may possibly mean that Germany has abandoned all hope of retaining a footing in North Africa and that the Germans are seriously organising the defence of the Continent a United Nations’ offensive. A message from Cairo reports that heavy enemy transport concentrations • and convoys moving both east and west.-w in Tripolitania and heavy traffic- in -J. Tunisia wp ro the Allied desert air forces. Many hits were scored and vehicles were set on -a fire with bomb" machine-gun and cannon fire. Over the battle area in Tripolitania several protective patrols were carried out and two fighter-bomber raids were ’A made on concentrations of enemy motor in the Wad ? n AT.e. well inland. The enemy air force v s' fairly active, but it avoided combat ' ,<MT except when four enemy aircraft were attacked by one Royal Air Force. t. fighter, which damaged one. - r Offensive operations over a wide area were made on the previous night, including the bombing of road junctions n- - east of Tripoli and north-east of Castel Benito. “There was nothing to report from our land forces on Sunday and offensive air operations over the battle area were not on a large scale,” states a Cairo communique. “One Junkers 83 was destroyed by our fighters. On Saturday night we bombed targets - around Tripoli and in Tripolitania. On Sunday Allied heavy bombers attacked La Goulette in davlOht, also aerodromes in Sicily and on Lampedusa Island. One of our aircraft is missing but the crew is safe.”