GENERAL ADVANCE

Wairarapa Times-Age, 15 June 1942, Page 3

GENERAL ADVANCE

BEGUN BV GERMANS ALLIED POSITIONS INTACT. TOBRUK DEFENDERS NOT YET ENGAGED. (By Telegraph—Press Association—Copyright) LONDON, June 14. Freed by their capture of Bir Hacheim the Germans have begun ■ a general advance eastward in Libya, says Reuter’s correspondent in the Western Desert. A great tank battle raged yesterday along an 18-mile front between El Adem -z and the British “hedgehog” at f Knightsbridge. When General Ropimel struck northward, the British tanks massed along the Trigh-Capuzzo line with their backs to the Tobruk perimeter. The Allied positions are still intact and the Tobruk defenders are not yet engaged. A message from Cairo says that fighting in Libya is now occurring 15 miles from Tobruk, though the perimeter defences are not yet involved. According to the latest reports from the battlefront, the present battle area is within a triangle formed roughly by Knightsbridge, El Adem and Acroma, with the northern limits 15 miles south-westward of Tobruk. Simultaneously, with thrusts northeastward, the enemy t launched a combined artillery and dive-bomber attack in the Knightsbridge area, apparently with the object of containing the Allied armoured and other forces within and round that area. The Cairo correspondent of the British United Press said earlier that the enemy was skilfully using artillery as a cover for tanks in the Knightsbridge area while a fast-moving striking force tried to insinuate itself through the real main British armoured strength and reach the coast. Yesterday’s Middle East communique stated that there was severe fighting all day on Friday in the area south of El Adem. An enemy attack on El Adem, which was made with air support, was repulsed. Enemy armoured troops then manoeuvred round El Adem and were directed on Acroma. They were heavily engaged by our armoured forces and attacked throughout the day by the R.A.F. Considerable damage was inflicted. All our positions were intact. Authoritative London quarters interpreted the communique yesterday as confirming the impression that the enemy was now trying to put into operation his original plan. On the first day ■ of the present campaign, the enemy advanced to El Adem and attempted to advance north toward Tobruk. That was precisely what he was attempting to do now. “The Times” correspondent in Libya says: “Informed opinion here does not minimise the heavy task that still faces the Eighth Army, but satisfaction is expressed with the way things are going. There are extremely heartening reports about our tanks strength, and far larger numbers than were expected are reported again to be ready for battle.”