MAY BE CUT OFF

Wairarapa Times-Age, 24 December 1941, Page 4

MAY BE CUT OFF

AXIS FORCES IN LIBYA / ________ I Forced Stand at Benghazi Possible ON ACCOUNT OF SWIFT BRITISH PURSUIT ■ - i COMMUNICATIONS WITH TRIPOLI MENACED (British Official Wireless.) (Received This Day, 12.35 p.m.) RUGBY, December 23. Authoritative opinion in London is that the rapid advance of the British troops in Libya is likely even now to force General Rommel to make a stand in the Benghazi area, with such infantry as he can muster. The movement of British mobile columns along the Gulf of Sirte seems to cut off the escape of the Axis troops by the long road to Tripoli, unless they can break through. , . , A c General Rommel is believed to be keeping the remnants of his armoured divisions mobile to the south of Benghazi, to protect his flanks, should he be forced to make another stand. A Press agency report from the Eighth Army says the Italians, abandoned by the Germans, who are still in the region of El-Abiar, seem to have decided to make another stand before opening the road to Benghazi. British pressure, however, is becoming Unbearable for them. Our reinforcements are coming up quickly and the. British mobile columns are harassing them on all sides up to the sea. The number of prisoners is increasing, although the advance troops are unwilling to delay their advance by rounding - up operations. The main object is still to destroy the enemy forces. . Heavy rains, sand storms and a bitterly cold wind are hampering operations and the withdrawal of the Germans has been considerably slowed up. Material, stores and supplies abandoned by the retreating forces will take weeks to count. With the ground operations moving at record speed, the R.A.F. is having its busiest time. For airmen, as well as ground crews, there is a moving day every few days, for many squadrons and the whole of the Fighter and Bomber wings are movingforward from fifty to a hundred miles at a time. Ceaseless R.A.F. convoys can be seen almost every day passing over the rough desert tracks. The problem is that of moving thousands of heavy trucks and ground staffs, so that air' crews can be serviced and fed at each new landing ground taken from the enemy. General Sikorski has arrived in Cairo from Russia.