RACE FOR TRIPOLI

Wanganui Chronicle, Volume 86, Issue 308, 31 December 1942, Page 5

RACE FOR TRIPOLI

ROMMEL’S MAIN BRITISH FORCES WEST OF SIRTE (By Telegraph—Press Association—Copyright) (Recd. 6.30 p.m.) London, Dec. 29. The vanguard of the Sth. Army is still in contact with Rommel’s rear guard in the broken area along Wadi Bei el Kebir. which thrusts a deep gash through the desert wastes 40 miles west of Sirte. It 1 does not appear that Rommel in tends to put up a determined fight here, as his main transport is racing to Tripoli as fast as possible. The main British forces are regrouping west of Sirte for another forward thrust. It is believed that Rommel is not in a position to make a stand until he reaches Tripoli, where he can obtain food and ammunition and, most important of all, petrol, which he must sorely need. The last part of Rommel’s retreat should be less difficult. He has already reached broken country, easier to defend, with the great Trurga salt mashes on his flank, while beyond Misurata begins Tripoli’s cultivated belt, with water and some available food. A Cairo communique states: “Yesterday there, was nothing to report from our troops in contact with the enemy in the Wadi Bei el Kebir area. There was only slight air activity over the battle area. Tunis and La Goulette were bombed on the night of December 27 and fires started near the railway marshalling yard. All our aircraft returned.” PURSUIT OF ROMMEL CONTACT MADE WITH ENEMY London, Dec. 30. A Cairo communique states that British forces made contact with the enemy several miles west of Wadi Bei el Kebir but a major action did not develop. (Recd. 9.30 p.m.) London, Dec. 29. The German news agency says that General Montgomery dropped his new outflanking move against Rommel's forces. General Montgomery had two groups advancing from the south, the first including part of the New Zealand Division. Supply depots had already been prepared for both groups. After costly experiences at El Agheila and the increasing difficulties of supplies, especially drinking water, General Montgomery evidently abandoned his plan, and the desert forces, as a result of heitation, lost contact with the German-Italian tank army.

ENEMY TANKS

NOT USED FOR A FORTNIGHT Rugby, Dec. 29. A correspondent at Allied headquarters in’North Africa stated:— “It is now more than a fortnight since the enemy last attempted to use tanks in Tunisia. This may be due to many reasons, but it is generally thought that the enemy has lost the tactical advantage since we regrouped and formed our present line. Possibly the enemy's losses of tanks have been greater than he can afford and he is carefully nursing the remainder for attack by either side.. “It seems obvious that our holding Mejez el Bab always threatens Tunis, I and the fact that the enemy has not thrown in all his available forces in an attempt to recapture the town appears to indicate that he is either saving up for a big attack or has decided that we are going to put one in. “We are still sending thousands of troops up to the line, and the enemy is also bringing in reinforcements, although our air forces have been taking heavy toll of them. Another important factor is that we are no longer at such a geographical disadvantage in the matter of airfields, and during the last fortnight our air activity seems to have grown and that of the Germans to have diminished. Heavy rain had also had an effect in slowing down the tank type of warfare. “The great work our scout patrols are doing in no man’s land is illusrrated by two Guards sergeants, who, ■in making a reconnaissance, hid all day only 20 feet from the enemy and then brought back valuable information to our lines, although both were I wounded on the way back.”—B.O.W.

GERMANS AND ITALIANS SURRENDER AT POINT OF REVOLVER Rugby, Dec. 20. Diving into an enemy trench in the Western Desert to take cover from shell-fire when his lorry was crippled, a British sergeant-major found it full of Germans and Italians, who immediately surrendered at the point of his revolver. His only companion had left his rifle in the lorry. The episode occurred while the two were in rapid retreat from the enemy lines, where they found themselves at first light, having overshot theii own tanks. “While we were there I talked to a finely-built young German from the 21st. Panzer Division.” said the ser-geant-major. “He thought we were bound to win in Africa. He added that if he had been a Russian he would never have given himself up “They always fight to the death,” he said. He also gave us an interesting slant on German nronaganda, assuring us that the Dieppe raid and the 1000-bomber raids were myths. He was convinced that the U-boat blockade of the Atlantic was so complete that we should be starved into surrender by next summer.” —8.0.W.