Little Opposition

Timaru Herald, Volume CLIII, Issue 22486, 22 January 1943, Page 5

Little Opposition

Advance Of Eighth Army Rommel Veering Away From Tripoli By Telegraph—New Zealand Press Association—Copyright (Received 9.15 p.m.) LONDON, January 20. WITH the Eighth Army nearing Tripoli and with apparently no check to General Sir Bernard Montgomery’s swift pursuit of Rommel’s scurrying forces, war correspondents and observers are coming to the conclusion that the Afrika Korps will evacuate Tripoli and augment the Axis forces in Tunisia for an all-out stand to retain a toehold in Africa. Homs and Tarhuna were occupied yesterday, bringing the right flank to within 65 miles of Tripoli and the force moving up inland b to within 45 miles of the capital. Reuter’s Cairo correspondent points out that the Eighth Army is rolling up the map so rapidly that Rommel is running short of his most precious weapon—time. The weight of men and material that General Montgomery is throwing in threatens to disrupt Axis rearguards before Rommel is able to organise his next move, whether it be resistance or escape. In spite of reports that Axis troops are embarking at Tripoli, the Morocco radio to-night declared that part of Rommel's ’ forces has already been seen well to the west of Tripoli moving rapidly to Tunisia. The correspondent says this indicates that Rommel may be taking the only alternative to complete sea evacuation, namely, to force a way through by land to Tunisia. Either course that Rommel takes is studded with difficulties. He is confined to four main tracks radiating from Tripoli, and the Royal Air Force, leap-frogging to forward aerodromes as they are relinquished, is hammering the fleeing columns, blasting Tripoli’s harbour and the aerodrome at Castel Benito. The Eighth Army’s advanced units all day yesterday maintained contact with Rommel’s rearguards, although the ground at present is broken and hilly. Our left flank has already penetrated the Jebel region and is , nearing the escarpment from which the plains drop down to Tripoli, inviting fast progress. General Montgomery’s army is now operating 1500. miles from its main base, says the Cairo correspondent of “The Times.” Some supplies are being sent by sea to Benghazi. There is only a single track railway for a short part of the way from the main base. The most urgent items are transported by air, but road transport is the backbone of the Eighth Army’s supply. On the other hand the enemy is continually falling back -n his own supply lines. The fact that with such an advantage the Axis forces are unable to make a stand anywhere is proof of the Eighth Army’s fighting superiority and the immense damage done to the German war machine in the battle of El Alamein. Royal Air Force airmen returning to their bases after bombing Rommel’s fleeing columns described the 50 miles stretch of roadway between Tripoli and Zuara as a shambles of wrecked vehicles. At one point a mile long line of traffic was bombed and shot up until the vehicles were piled up in a hopeless jam, completely blocking the road. Allied airmen report huge fires in Tripoli and intermittent explosions in the dock area.

The New Zealand Forces were again the Eighth Army’s spearhead on Friday when the offensive opened against the Germans’ most southern defences in Tripolitania. Strong forces of New Zealanders smashed through Rommels defences. The first elements the New Zealanders encountered were the same Germans whom they had previously trounced in a delaying action which allowed the Eighth Army to consolidate on the El Alamein line. New Zealand armoured cavalry with 25pounder guns, advancing far ahead of their main columns of guns and mobile infantry, swept across the sandy ridges to attack the German forces occupying the high ground 17 miles east of the main Axis defences along the Wadi Zemzem. The New Zealanders before 8 o’clock had taken the high ground and the British armour was thrusting toward positions which the Germans had defended with anti-tank guns, heavy artillery and scattered mines. Meanwhile sweep after sweep of Royal Air Force fighters watched overhead. The battle between our tanks and guns and German armoured units raged all day across country as arid and as rugged as any in North Afri-a. The Germans, although using y guns, seemed unwilling to fight any decisive action, preferring to delay the New Zealanders’ advance with vigorous rearguard actions. Italian tanks and few German tanks moved in groups ol 20 ahead of the New Zealanders. More New Zealand guns raced forward to support the British armoured attack;, and the greater part of the German force by dusk was withdrawing to the west, leaving their heavy guns to battle against the .New Zealand t *- teries.

Hundreds of New Zealand troops watched the closing stages of the battle from a grandstand site when their transport halted on high ground overlooking a wide basin where the New Zealand guns were firing. New Zealand guns and tanks during the day s action knocked out five German Mark 111. tanks, also some troop-carriers and anti-tank guns. Reuter’s quotes an Axis radio report that advance units of the Eighth Army, in a lightning advance, penetrated the suburbs of Tripoli, which is ip flames. The Morocco radio says that Rommel has already begun to embark troops from Tripoli. According to the Paris radio, British paratroops landed behind Rommel’s Afrika Korps to harass his communications. Land fighting is taking place for the first time in townships occupied by Axis civil populations, who see the Afrika Korps streaming past them in retreat. The country from now on lends itself better to defence, and if Tripoli falls the country to the west ot it may provide Rommel' with an opportunity to make a stand. Tank Clashes The Eighth Army encountered little opposition on Tuesday, though the country is becoming more difficult as the top of Jebel is approached, an Agency correspondent reports. Rommel appears to lie speeding up his withdrawal and .there were clashes of tanks

The number of mines the enemy is leaving is also reported to be smaller than in the past. In Tunisia the enemy is reported to be increasing his pressure against the French position south-west of Pont du Fahs. Employing tanks, supported by aircraft, he yesterday succeeded in penetrating seven miles on the road from Pont du Fahs. The French are putting up a fierce resistance. The objective of the German attack, correspondents state, would be to drive the Allies from all the high ground in this area in order either to prevent any Allied attack on the important ports of Susa and Stax or to make absolutely certain that the corridor to northern Tunisia through which Rommelsarmy may pass is kept unthreatened. Hurricane bombers and Spitfires effectively co-operated with ground troops in attacking enemy forces that were attacking the French, and on one part of the road Hurricanes bombed and Spitfires shot up a column of 20 vehicles and 400 troops. The British Eighth Army is closing in on Tripoli and Rommel appears to be trying to get as much material away from the area as possible. Royal Air Force pilots report that long lines of traffic stretch out from the town. The R.A.F. has been strafing the Axis forces moving from the town, and pilots say that every time they knock out a vehicle the traffic piles up, forming a serious jam. Correspondents state that the Eighth Army has pressed forward since this news was issued. “On Tuesday our forces continued to press the enemy to the north-west and by evening they were closing in on Homs and Tarhuna,” states to-day’s Cairo communique. “In the course of the day’s operations we captured prisoners, guns and vehicles. Allied air squadrons continued to attack the retreating enemy. Fighter-bombers and bombers maintained continuous pressure in the last 24 hours on columns moving westwards from Tarhuna. On Monday night the airfield at Castel Benito was heavily attacked. Large fires broke out among dispersed aircraft. The same night a large ship was attacked by torpedo-carrying aircraft westward of Sicily and left in a sinking condition. Yesterday Allied heavy bombers attacked the liarbqur of Tripoli and Sousse. These formations were engaged by enemy aircraft three of which were destroyed. From these and other operations four of our aircraft are missing."