RECENT DESERT RAIDS

Southland Times, Issue 24868, 7 October 1942, Page 5

RECENT DESERT RAIDS

INFORMATION LEAKAGE (Rec. 7 p.m.) LONDON, October 5. It is difficult to avoid the conclusion that the recent long-distance raids on enemy bases in Libya were greatly hampered and the men taking part were exposed to unnecessary risK through apparent leakages of information, says The Daily Telegraphs correspondent in the Western Desert. Although the Barce force reached its goal 500 miles in the rear of the enemy lines without interference, it te u P“ every aircraft guarded by five sentries armed with machine-guns and tommyguns. Consequently, what should nave been a surprise affair involved a sun struggle and the objective of destroying dozens of enemy aircraft was achieved only after at unexpectedly strong resistance. Our losses were considerably heavier than they should nave b£ lt n turned out that the enemy was evidently also fully informed of tne British retreat line and arranged an armoured car ambush a few miles from Barce, from which the raiding party was forced to escape by driving straight at the enemy vehicles, bowling them over. GERMAN AIR LOSSES (8.0.W.) RUGBY, October 5. Field-Marshal Erwin Rommel has had to replace practically the whole or his air force in Egypt since he made his attack on the British forces which carried him to El Alamein. He has lost in the four months at least 330 planes.