NATURALLY STRONG

Wairarapa Times-Age, 8 January 1942, Page 4

NATURALLY STRONG

ROMMEL’S DEFENSIVE POSITION BETWEEN SEA AND CLIFFS IN LIBYA. OUTLOOK FROM BRITISH STANDPOINT. (By Telegraph—Press Association—Copyright i (Received This Day. 1.5 p.m.) LONDON, January 7. “General Rommel chose well when he selected Jedabaya for his present stand,” says Reuter’s correspondent with the advanced British forces. “A 50-miles wide quagmire, separating the sea from the line of cliffs south-east-wards of Jedabaya, provides an ideal position for a delaying action. One month’s rain has converted the clay surface of the desert on either side of a single metalled road into patches of gluey morass, in which tanks and armcured vehicles flounder helplessly. The sea to the left of Rommel and the cliffs on his right prevent us outflanking him, and the superior gunpowcr of Rommel's tanks secures for him those firmly-surfaced parts where tanks can operate. The main Tripoli road stretches behind Rommel, along which he can be supplied from dumps at El Agh'eila and Sirte. The German troops and also remnants from the Italian infantry divisions are disposed along an almost straight line, running south-eastwards for fifty miles from the coast through Jedabaya. The tanks and armoured divisions and also the remainder of the Italian Ariete Armcured Division, provide a “shock screen” for them. In addition there are a few tanks landed at Benghazi before our troops swept into the town. “Rommel’s choice of Jedabaya conversely suits the British, for two reasons. Firstly, the momentum of the 350 miles Christmas week advance was almost exhausted by the time the British reached Jedabaya. The fuel and food supply organisation was left far behind and men and machines were subjected to an intense strain. Secondly, Rommel placed 100 miles from Benghazi, is unable to prevent us using the facilities of the town and harbour. Stray German bombers daily fly over Benghazi, dropping bombs apparently without a specific objective. The German Air Force is more active around Jedabaya, bombing our forward troops regularly.”