GALLANT TOBRUK

Wairarapa Times-Age, 29 November 1941, Page 5

GALLANT TOBRUK

SAGA OF THE SEIGE ENEMY GETS MANY SHOCKS. IMPORTANT PART PLAYED BY NAVY. i (British Official Wireless.) RUGBY, November 27. The news today that the Tobruk forces have joined up with the New Zealand troops south-east of the port invites the recollection ‘that it is now just six months since the Italian Press gleefully announced that the British garrison at Tobruk was showing signs of exhaustion. A month later a number of attacks supported by tanks having failed to enable them to take advantage of the alleged exhaustion to capture this highly-valued prize, the enemy announced that Tobruk was to be surrounded by an impregnable ring and slowly bombed and shelled out of existence. Every day, often five or six- times daily, Axis aircraft showered their bombs on the harbour and defences, and every day their artillery shelled the whole area. The result was singularly ineffective. It is an axiom that a defended port must be attacked at the same time by land and sea if it is to be reduced. Thanks to the British Navy, Tobruk could never be attacked from the sea. The Tobruk garrison did not sit quiet under the enemy’s threat. Almost nightly raids were made, patrols penetrating deeply into the enemy’s positions, destroying observation posts, shooting up working parties and bringing in prisoners, and almost invariably the initiative was with us. The Germans were led to believe that the Australians alone numbered three divisions. Still there was no doubt that the enemy really thought our troops were entrapped. They could not believe that supplies were being brought in by sea. It must have been a shock to them to learn that almost the entire garrison was relieved this autumn by fresh troops without their knowledge and with no loss to ourselves, and still more that the garrison has been reinforced with tanks. . The holding of Tobruk made an Axis attack on Egypt impossible. For seven and a half months three Italian divisions, and some German troops, have been nailed down to their land blockade lines, with the result that the armoured divisions on the frontier lacked the infantry backing which is essential to.a forward move. When General Cunningham began his attack the Tobruk garrison took part, and witn the tanks which the. Navy had landed it drove deeply into the south-east sector of the enemy’s defensive lines.