LOSS OF TOBRUK

Wairarapa Times-Age, 22 June 1942, Page 4

LOSS OF TOBRUK

OFFICIAL EXPLANATION AWAITED ITALIAN & GERMAN REPORTS. CAPTURE OF 25,000 PRISONERS CLAIMED. (By Telegraph—Press Association—Copyright) (Received This Day, 1.25 p.m.) LONDON, June 21. The British United Press military correspondent says the news of the fall of Tobruk is amazing. Much was expected of Tobruk, although until some official explanation has been given there is no time for useless speculation. The position now is that the battle in Libya is over to all intents and purposes, and with Bardia lost the Germans control all the ports on the Libyan coast. Reuter’s Cairo correspondent today described the position of Tobruk as precarious and said the Axis attack against Tobruk yesterday began with an aerial bombardment, after which tanks breached the perimeter defences. Infantry followed the tanks into the breach and then the tanks went in again. According to the British United Press, the wording of the original Berlin special communique makes it clear that General Rommel personally commanded the operations against Tobruk. An Italian communique said.: “After bitter fighting yesterday, in which the enemy resistance was smashed, an authorised British official waited on the commander of our 21st Army Corps at seven this morning and offered to surrender in the name of the commander at Tobruk. Axis troops occupied the stronghold city and pprt and took 25.000 prisoners, including seven generals. The booty is overwhelming.” A German communique repeats the foregoing Italian announcement and adds: “We are hotly pursuing the defeated British eastwards. We captured Bardia and Bir el Gobi.”