HALFAYA CAPTURES

Wairarapa Times-Age, 22 January 1942, Page 4

HALFAYA CAPTURES

FINAL COUNT OF AXIS

PRISONERS MANY GUNS TAKEN IN GOOD CONDITION. WEATHER HOLDING UP ADVANCE. (British Official Wireless.) (Received This Day. Noon.) RUGBY, January 21. The final count of Halfaya prisoners reaches 5,526, according io a Cairo communique, which states: “A blinding sand storm, which raged yesterday throughout the frontier districts and in Western Cyrenaica, restricted our activities both on the ground and in the air. These weather conditions, which are the worst which have obtained for a decade, alternate between severe sand storms and heavy lain. Owing to the latter, many areas on the enemy’s front have temporarily been turned into impassable marshes. This has enabled the enemy heavily to mine restricted intervening areas, thus hampering the movement of our troops. “The collection of equipment and war material in the Halfaya area is continuing. In addition to quantities of other pieces of lesser calibres, and large stocks of material in all categories, sixteen German and 44 Italian field, medium and heavy dual-purpose guns have been taken over in firstclass condition.

“The final count of prisoners in the Halfaya area is: German officers, 57; other ranks, 2,069. Italian officers, 178; other ranks, 3.222."