STILL HEAVY

Wairarapa Times-Age, 18 September 1941, Page 5

STILL HEAVY

SHELLING OF POSITIONS AT TOBRUK I DAMAGING RAIDS ON ENEMY HARBOURS. OPERATIONS RESUMED IN ABYSSINIA. (By Telegraph—Press Association—Copyright) LONDON, September 17. A Cairo communique states that advanced British and South African mechanised forces are continuing to patrol the frontier area. In the eastern sector of Tobruk, the return shelling of our forward positions is still heavy, but the bombardment has decreased in the south and west sections. In Abyssinia the weather has allowed a resumption of operations in the Gondar area, where the remnants of the Italian army have taken refuge. A Cairo communique reports further heavy air raids on Benghazi. The harbours at. Bardia and Tripoli were also attacked.

DESERT FIGHTING ENEMY WITHDRAWAL ON FRONTIER. (British Official Wireless.) RUGBY, September 17. A Cairo headquarters communique issued yesterday states: — “Though our patrols from Tobruk again pentrated deeply into enemy positions during the night of September 14-15 no actual contact was made. The enemy retaliated by the use of heavy machine-gun fire and intensive but ineffective shelling on our eastern sector. “In the frontier area our mechanised patrpls remain in contact with enemy armoured units, which have again withdrawn to the positions they occupied before the reconnaissance operations begun on September 14.” SOME EBB & FLOW IN FRONTIER OPERATIONS. FIVE ENEMY TANKS DESTROYED. (British Official Wireless.) (Received This Day, 9.45 a.m.) RUGBY, September 17. Commenting on the recent skirmish on the Egyptian frohtier military circles state: “In the operation, which started on the night of September 13, five enemy tanks were destroyed when an enemy reconnaissance in force advanced some miles into Egyptian territory. In the counter-measures, taken by British advanced elements, eleven prisoners were captured, of whom three were Germans. By the morning of September 15, the British elements had regained their old positions, but were counter-attacked by a force, including twenty tanks, which forced the British Imperial troops back about six miles. Later a counter-offensive was launched and by nightfall on September . 15 the British Imperial troops were once again occupying their former positions. After this “ding dong” movement, the frontier seems to have settled down once more. In the Tobruk area some enemy tanks approached the British Imperial lines, but were driven off by gunfire. There was some artillery activity as well as enemy air activity on September 15.