ENEMY CLAIMS

Wairarapa Times-Age, 16 April 1941, Page 5

ENEMY CLAIMS

DESCRIPTION OF SURPRISE TACTICS RUSH OF DESERT COLUMNS. PUSH TOWARDS EGYPT. (By Telegraph—Press Association— Copyrighti LONDON. April 14. Dispatches from. Tripoli describe the methods by which the Italian and German forces have achieved their blitz success. The Axis forces split up. One section followed up and harassed the British in their coastal retreat while the other section struck out across the desert, circumventing the British stonewall defence system at Tobruk, where substantial British-built forts erected after the original British advance to Benghazi were now in readiness as the main British base ol operations. The Axis tactics purposely nurtured the impression that the Italians and Germans were eagerly pressing on to attack along the coast, thus focusing the British attentions on Tobruk. Simultaneously the Axis desert columns rushed ahead unperceived, marching across the desert by night and sleeping in the daytime under camouflaged sheeting which made the Axis tanks appear to British reconnaissance planes like desert shrubs. This desert force completely surprised the British at Bardia. NAZI PROPAGANDA. Berlin radio claims that the British forces at Tobruk represent the last remnants of the British Expeditionary Force in North Africa. It says they are fearlessly defending themselves in preparation for embarkation. Meanwhile, the Germans are pouring out a description of the operations in. North Africa, most of which, if not wholly true, emphasises the intensity] of the mobility and also the skilful-] ness of the tactics which are carrying the Germans from far-away Tripoli tc the Egyptian frontier. The'Berlin wireless says that when Mekili was taken the German tanks raced northward and reached Dorna i simultaneously with a column which had advanced from the west. German dive-bombers attacked motorised vehicles which were climbing the winding road to the mountain plateau and many of the latter- crashed down the mountain-side. Meanwhile, a German column which was moving eastward from Mekili closed in on the Dorna road, cutting oil a British column of tanks and armoured units which was attempting to break through, with the result that the majority surrendered. ‘Hereabouts we captured the whole of the British command.'' it was stated. THREAT TO SUEZ CANAL.

A correspondent of "The Times on the Italian frontier says that Axis circles interpret a special Gorman communique announcing that with the fall of Bardin the British have lost their last base on the eastern border of Cyrenaica” as implying that the British defences in North Africa have broken down, permitting the continua-

lion of a lightning Axis push across Egypt with the object, of seizing the Suez Canal before the first United States ships arrive.

The military correspondent of “The Times" says that undeniably the situation in North Africa gives serious cause for anxiety. Doubtless the British Command argues that the further the enemy communications are stretched the better will be the prospect of a successful counter-stroke, but General Wavell would hardly havd abandoned the Libyan airfields unless the prospect of a pitched battle in Cyrenaica appeared to be very risky.

“Our victory over a third-rate .opponent," says the correspondent, ’-had given us all, perhaps, over-confidence in our ability to deal with the German armoured units which crossed the Mediterranean, and also a false impression that our sea and air power would prevent them attaining anything like their present strength, in addition to denying them supplies. When these supplies and fuel are not caught, at sea or in the air. their destruction on land is not easy. It is hardly to be doubted that a counter-stroke will be attempted before long, but it will not be a simple matter as at Sidi Barrani. The Germans will keep to the open country, and reb' on their mobility. In addition, they possess striking power far beyond the comparatively ill-equipped Italian expeditionary force.”