STRAINING AXIS LINES

Marlborough Express, Volume LXXVI, Issue 240, 12 October 1942, Page 4

STRAINING AXIS LINES

ALLIED BOMBING ATTACKS. TOBRUK AND BENGHAZI. SYDNEY. Oct, 3. Allied air attacks, on Nazi ports , and communication lines in Libya and Egypt are affecting the trend of the war in Africa. says Ronald Monson in a despatch to the Sydney Daily Telegraph from Egypt. Ncn-stop Allied bombing of Tobruk has forced the Axis to divert supply ships to Benghazi, 250 miles west. This places a heavy additional stra'ln on Axis supply lines. Benghazi is not much safer than Tobruk. Long-range Liberators, rnanned by British and American crews,, have been successfully bombing Benghazi. To protect Axis supply ships, the Germans have been forced to divert many figliters from ;the battle area. Allied air forces still have supcriority, although reconnaissance reports show tliat the Axis never had more planes in North Africa. By giving the Germans no rest, the Allies are seeing to it that every possible strain is being put on the reserves the enemy is trying to build up.

In three months our bombers have sunk 40 Axis cargo ships, . total - ling 60,000 tons, and have damaged another 80,000 tons of ships. Six escorts have been sunk, and at least 12 others damaged. Since oTb kurllevbcm srd mcw m Since Tobruk fell. a little more than 100 days ago, it has been raided on 97 nights. More than 4000 tons of bombs have been dropped on harbour installatidns and dumps.