ROMMEL’S FORCES

Wairarapa Times-Age, 16 January 1942, Page 3

ROMMEL’S FORCES

STRONG POSITIONS IN WESTERN CYRENAICA BRITISH ADVANCE IN SOUTH. PRESSURE ON HALFAYA CONTINUES. LONDON, January 15. In Western Cyrenaica the strong positions held by General Rommel’s forces have delayed our advance in the coastal area, north-east of El Agheila. Further south progress has been made. Enemy air activity is again on a considerable scale. The R.A.F. and the Royal Australian Air Force are also busy and have destroyed two enemy planes and damaged others. At Halfaya a heavy bombardment of the enemy defences by British, South African and Polish artillery, in co-opera-tion with the Free French aircraft and the R.A.F. resulted in the blowing up of an important ammunition dump. Direct hits were made on gun emplacements. Our infantry advanced to new positions, and are consolidating them in the face of increased enemy patrol and artillery activity. Our aircraft have renewed their attacks on the enemy positions. On Tuesday night our planes again raided Tripoli, starting fires in the harbour area and in the railway station. In the Central Mediterranean our aircraft set fire to an enemy merchant ship which was escorted by a destroyer. The ship was left burning. Malta was again attacked on Tuesday night and yesterday, some damage being caused to civilian property. In the 24 hours ending last night Malta has beaten off 17 raids, eight at night. Only a few enemy bombers got through the defences. In all these operations we lost nine planes, but the pilots of four are safe. DIFFICULT COUNTRY RESISTANCE FROM DEFENDED LOCALITIES. ENEMY TRANSPORT ATTACKED BY AIRCRAFT. (British Official Wireless.) (Received This Day, 10.10 a.m.) RUGBY, January 15. Considerable enemy air activity again is reported by a communique from British General Headquarters in Cairo, which states: “Although the advance of our columns in the coastal sector about Mersa Brega has been delayed, in difficult country, by strong resistance from ' defended localities, further south progress was made. As on the previous day enemy air activity, against our columns was on a considerable scale. Throughout the day our air forces carried out protective sweeps over the area of operations, together with successful attacks on enemy concentrations of mechanical transport in the rear.” ♦ MIDDLE EAST BRITISH ARMY COMMANDS GENERAL AUCHINLECK* TAKES OVER IRAN AND IRAK. WAR OFFICE STATEMENT. (British Official Wireless.) RUGBY, January 15. The War Office announces that it has been decided that the command of all British and Indian land forces in Iraq and Iran shall pass from the Com-mander-in-Chief India to the Com-mander-in-Chief Middle East, General Auchinleck. “This change, necessitated by the recent developments in the course of the war, is in accordance with the policy of ensuring co-ordinated command in each strategic area of major importance. The position, thus, is that the outward defences of India, both east and west, are in the hands of two distinguished soldiers (Generals Wavell and Auchinleck), who have both very recently been Commanders-in-Chief India, and therefore in an exceptional position to view the situation with a full appreciation of India’s point of view.”