ROMMEL’S AIMS

Wairarapa Times-Age, 19 February 1942, Page 4

ROMMEL’S AIMS

SUBJECT OF SPECULATION IN LONDON SOME POSSIBLE REASONS FOR WITHDRAWAL. EFFECT OF BRITISH AIR ATTACKS. (British Official Wireless.) (Received This Day, 12.10 p.m.) RUGBY, February 18. The withdrawal by General Rommel of strong forces to points roughly fifteen to twenty miles west of Gazala, announced recently, is a subject of keen speculation among military experts in London. Three possible reasons are suggested —firstly, that he came forward intending to attack but found the Imperial forces stronger than he anticipated, and withdrew; secondly, that he never intended to attack, but camo forward to see where the Imperial forces were (This is regarded as the less likely alternative, in view of the strength of the forces Rommel moved forward); thirdly, that he came forward intending to attack, and that then, owing to the successful British air offensive, he found himself deprived of more of his air power than he liked, and may have decided that without that air strength he was not prepared to attack. The successful British air attack on planes which were attacking our columns is incidentally seen as evidence of the very high standard of co-opera-tion existing between the Army and the R.A.F. in Libya. BRITISH COLUMNS OPERATING OVER WIDE AREA. (British Official Wireless.) (Received This Day, 12.10 p.m.) RUGBY, February 18. A Middle East war communique states: “Our fighting patrols and mobile columns, protected by fighters, again operated over a wide area south of the general line Tmimi-Mekili without encountering any opposition.”