MOBILE FORCES

Wairarapa Times-Age, 19 June 1942, Page 3

MOBILE FORCES

CONTINUING TO HARASS GERMANS IN AREAS SOUTH & WEST OF TOBRUK. STORY OF THE ESCAPE FROM GAZALA. (By Telegraph—Press Association—Copyright) LONDON, June 18. A communique issued today from Cairo states: “Our forces have been withdrawn from their positions at El Adem and Sidi Rezegh. Our mobile forces are continuing to harass the enemy in the areas south and west of Tobruk.” A correspondent, writing before this communique was issued, said the indications were that the 90th German division, which was moving again to attack our forces at Acroma, might find them there no longer. Acroma has been one of our important strongpoints in the outer defence line of Tobruk, but it has done a good job in covering the withdrawal from Gazala. Another battalion, also covering that withdrawal, held on at "Point 187,” further east, till it was overrun. The seriousness of the situation in Libya has been emphasised by London, newspapers. In a dispatch from the Western Desert, an observer said that German infantry suffered heavy casualties today in two new thrusts at El Adem yesterday. These were in addition to the three thrusts made at El Adem on the previous day. The observer said that though fresh enemy attacks must be expected, there was a better complexion on things for the Allies now that the force at Gazala had taken up new positions with a full complement of guns. The presence of German forces so far east as Sidi Rezegh remained a serious threat to the British land communications with Tobruk. The dramatic story of how the British 50th Division and the South Africans broke out of the Gazala trap can now be revealed. They breached minefields 15 miles from the coast opposite the main Italians position, cut their way through two.. Italian divisions, beat off enemy tanks and drove through the enemy communications in a sweeping 150-inile arc. bringing out 12 Valentines. They burnt, bombed, grenaded and tommy-gunned Axis lorries, troops, tents and dug-outs, and threw the Axis rear into confusion. The “Daily Express” says: “Rommel has more reserves than we calculated he had, and his communication lines are working at double-quick time, in spite of all our attempts to break them. The crisis which is now being enacted will decide whether we will fight another battle of Libya or the Battle of Egypt. The latter would, affect the whole of the Allied war strategy.”