BRITISH DEFENCES DEEP IN DESERT

Auckland Star, Volume LXXIII, Issue 124, 28 May 1942, Page 7

BRITISH DEFENCES DEEP IN DESERT

RESTRICTED TROUT

Allied Forces Now Much

Stronger

V.P.A. ami nrlllsli WJrHr«S. Rec. 3 p.m. LONDON, May 27. The Times Cairo correspondent says the strongest of Rommel's columns appears to have started from the vicinity of Tcngeder, taking a north-easterly direction, and was last reported around El Teilim, while others proceeded due east. While it is inaccurate to describe our positions as a line, our forward posts stretch roughly from GazaJa to Bir Hacheim, with defences of considerable depth behind them. A major engagement, if it occurs, will be on a far more restricted front than in the last two Libyan campaigns. The Exchange Telegraph's correspondent with the Eighth Army reports that an armoured battle is in progress in what looks like an Axis offensive. An important engagement, in which a von Bismarck armoured unit and part of the Afrika Corps under von Nehring are participating, has been waged since early morning.

British Forces Relnforccd Should the battle become general, indications gathered recently suggest that the Axis can field as manv troops and tanks as in the last offensive, but with the disadvantage for them that the British forces have been considerably reinforced, and if not superior in tanks have enough guns of all calibres with which to meet the enemy. The present, operation-! are being carried out in good went her. Military quarters in Cairo describe the terrain of the present Vim'tie as not bad for tanks, though not completely flat. The Axis troops are believedto be '15 per cent Germans and 55 per cent Italians. The Associated Press correspondent in Cairo says that Axis air power does not appear to be greatly strengthened. All available planes were used recently for attacks against British forward and rear positions. t . .Kvcrul important new types °* "lanes await the Germans in Libya, s the Daily Mail aeronautical

writer. These include a Spitfire adapted for overseas service and other types still on the secret list. According to a Press Association correspondent with the Middle East armies, the German forces engaged in the present operations in Cyrenaica are the 25th and 15th Panzer Divisions and the 19th Light Armoured Division. The Italian forces are the Arrien Armoured Divisions and the Trenta, Bologna and Pavia Infantry Divisions, most of which are motorised.