LITTLE CHANCE

Wairarapa Times-Age, 17 January 1942, Page 3

LITTLE CHANCE

POSITION IN CYRENAICA STIFF ENEMY OPPOSITION NEAR EL AGHEILA. SIEGE OF HALFAYA PASS CONTINUES. (By Telegraph—Press Association—Copyright) LONDON, January 16. Little change is reported in the position at El Agheila. In the coast area our mobile columns are still meeting with stiff opposition in country which is heavily mined. Enemy aircraft is again active on a large scale but our fighters are giving our troops strongprotection and have reduced losses to a negligible proportion. Air raids on the enemy’s communications continue. Free French troops have arrived at Halfaya Pass to attack the enemy. The artillery duel has re-started. The Free French Air Force has again been in action against the enemy strong points. British aircraft have again attacked Tripoli harbour. Three enemy planes were destroyed on January 11 and two others yesterday. We suffered no losses in our offensive operations. Enemy raids on Malta continued yesterday and on Wednesday night. Some damage was done to civilian property. TEMPORARY HALT ENEMY IN PREPARED POSITIONS GENERAL ROMMEL’S FORCES REINFORCED. / BRITISH EIGHTH ARMY LIKELY TO BE CAUTIOUS. (By Telegraph—Press Association —Copyright) LONDON, January 16. The battle in Libya has reached a temporary standstill with the enemy standing on prepared positions between El Agheila and Marada, says the “Telegraph’s” Cairo correspondent. British transport is inevitably feeling the strain of the long advance, and our activities are affected by the considerably greater distances over which fuel must be transported.

There seems little likelihood of the Eighth Army immediately launching a major assault against the enemy line, particularly because the R.A.F. continues successfully to concentrate against the enemy supply route through Tripoli. The enemy’s ceaseless onslaught against Malta is providing proof of the embarrassment Malta based planes are causing both the Italians and Germans.

After obtaining considerable air reinforcements and also tanks General Rommel is at present in the most favourable position for resistance since he fell back from Gazala. Also, for the first time since the beginning of the battle, the enemy is enabled to take the offensive in the air.

Desperate fighting has been progressing for 48 hours in the Mersa Brega area on the coast of the Gulf of Sirte, about 30 miles north-east of El Agheila. The Mersa Brega area is ideal for defence, and the German resistance is delaying the British columns. However, the British columns in the Marada area are sweeping forward.

The German rearguard continues to put up a strenuous resistance, but is suffering heavily, some actions have been long drawn out, but at other times British Guards units have quickly routed the Germans with the bayonet. General Rommel is desperately striving to reorganise his remaining forces, but not very successfully. The tank forces, despite reinforcements, are no longer formidable. General Rommel has pressed into service a small Mark I German tank hitherto considered fit only for protecting lines of communication or for training; also Italian two-man tanks, which are useless against the British tanks. Meanwhile, though the ultimate fall of Halfaya is certain, there is little sign of an immediate British assault on the enemy’s positions, which are extremely strong, mostly dominating the besiegers’ positions. Experts are of the opinion that Halfaya is the strongest position the British have yet faced in Africa except Keren and Gondar, and the defenders will pin down considerable British forces in addition to obliging a long detour in transporting supplies westward. Halfaya’s defenders must now depend on an aeroplane, which nightly flies from Greece and drops two to three tons of food by parachute. Several of the packages have fallen in the British lines.