BAD WEATHER IN LIBYA

Wairarapa Times-Age, 18 December 1941, Page 5

BAD WEATHER IN LIBYA

PACE SLOWED BUT PRESSURE MAINTAINED South-West and West of Gazala

DAMAGING AIR ATTACKS ON ENEMY TRANSPORT

LARGE ITALIAN SUBMARINE SUNK LONDON, December 17. In Libya the British drive continues in spite of bad weather. A communique states that bad weather and heavy sand storms have slowed down the rate of advance of the main forces south-west of Gazala and of the armoured forces west of that place, but that pressure everywhere has been maintained and some progress made. In the area west of Tobruk about forty more abandoned German and Italian guns and anti-aircraft guns have been secured.

Operating in extremely bad weather, our air forces have continued effectively to counter attempts by enemy air formations to interfere with our ground troops and have also made further damaging attacks on enemy transport. A large Italian submarine has been sunk in the Mediterranean by a British destroyer while trying to get back to Italy from Libya. Fifty-three survivors from the submarine have been picked up. The submarine, which set out from Bardia, had on board twenty Italian military officers, including the executive head of the Italian Army engineering service. He was not among* those rescued.