AXIS & TOBRUK

Wairarapa Times-Age, 15 August 1941, Page 6

AXIS & TOBRUK

SIGNS OF FADING HOPES BY-PASS ROAD BUILT ATTEMPTS TO PARALYSE SEA TRANSPORT. PLANES EVADING ACTION. (By Telegraph—Press Association—Copyright) (Received This Day, 12.25 p.m.) * LONDON, August 14. The Germans have apparently abandoned hope of reducing Tobruk by force and have built an expensive by-pass road to carry supplies to the Egyptian frontier, says Reuter’s correspondent with the advanced units in the Western Desert. The Germans hope to

starve out Tobruk. Big guns, used in conjunction with large bomber

forces, are attempting to paralyse British shipping in the harbour.

There is no’sign at present that the enemy intends to break the lull in the Desert, but the forward British troops continue to scour the blazing, barren tablelands, harrying the Axis forces day and night. Patrols bring in a steady flow of Italian and German prisoners. The Italians now outnumber the Germans in the frontier areas. The combined Axis forces have completed defensive positions in a great arc, stretching 30 miles from Halfaya Pass across the frontier to a point south-west of Fort Capuzzo. The positions are mainly trenches and camouflaged anti-tank nests. The Germans have copied the British composite columns, consisting of infantry in lorries and highly mobile guns. The Italians have been allotted the less arduous task of manning the prepared positions, but are not entrusted with the difficult job of holding a busy salient in the south-west corner of the Tobruk defences. The hopes of reducing Tobruk appear slight. Large fighter formations prevent the Axis planes from disrupting shipping. Pilots bemoan the fact that so far they have not succeeded in bringing raiding planes to large-scale action. Generally the enemy seems to be concentrating entirely on defence, in the face of daily increasing problems.