READY FOR ACTION

Wairarapa Times-Age, 24 November 1941, Page 6

READY FOR ACTION

OTHER BRITISH ARMIES STRONG FORCES IN SYRIA . & PALESTINE. STILL OTHERS IN IRAQ. (Received This Day, 1.5 p.m.) * LONDON, November 23. A powerful and well-equipped British, Imperial and Free French army is ready to bar the way if the Germans attempt 'to smash across Turkey in an attack on Syria, in order to divert Britain’s attention from North Africa, says the Beirut correspondent of the British United Press. During the five months in which Britain has been preparing for the Libya offensive, strong reinforcements

n have been pouring into Syria, Palestine and Lebanon. } The correspondent said he had just returned from, a tour of Syria and Palestine and saw arriving there steady streams of tanks, of all sizes, Bren gun carriers, anti-aicraft guns, armoured cars, guns and munitions. He talked . with veteran Australians from General Wavell’s campaign in Libya who had undergone further intensive training. They were already on the friendliest terms with the Turkish frontier posts in the north.- Veteran pilots, who fought in the Battle for Britain, are ready, standing by with Spitfires and Hurricanes'. South Africa and New Zealand have sent tens of thousands of men to the Middle East in the last few months. General Wavell has also another good-sized and well-equipped army in Iraq, ready for any emergency, while the British army in Cyprus has also been considerably reinforced and will not be caught unawares if the Germans attack the island. SPECTACLE IN PROSPECT SURRENDER OF PANZER CORPS. OFFENSIVE MAGNIFICENTLY J TIMED. - (By Telegraph—Press Association—Copyright) (Received This Day, 11.5 a.m.) j NEW YORK, November 23. ' Major Fielding Eliot, writing in the ’ “Herald-Tribune,” says: “The magnifi- : cently timed British offensive in Libya has a good chance to relieve the entire Middle East and to open up fur- 1 ther offensive possibilities in the Med- ; iterranean against Sicily, Sardinia or , even Italy itself.” ( He adds that there is a good pros- < pect of the spectacle of a German panzer corps surrendering in the open [ field being afforded to the world. ENEMY REPORTS i ? (Received This Day, 11.5 a.m.) P I LONDON, November 23. A German communique states: “German and Italian troops in North Africa successfully fought British forces advancing from the south and destroyed over 260 tonks and 200 armoured cars. The surrounding Italian forces repelled strong attacks by the British garrison at Tobruk, supported by tanks.” An Italian communique states: “Fighting at Marmarica continued all day on November 22, along a front from Egypt to Tobruk. Our divisions 2 repulsed all enemy attacks and inflict- a ed new and serious losses.” ' C p e AN ITALIAN EFFORT ti s; “FIGHTING GOING IN AXIS h FAVOUR.” e: CAPTURE OF GENERAL V ALLEGED. ' ol fc (Received This Day, 12.50 p.m.) LONDON, November 23. m The Rome radio declared: “Violent al fighting continues in North Africa. It M is going in the Axis favour. We took of a British general prisoner.” ai