CONFLICT IN LIBYA

Wairarapa Times-Age, 15 June 1942, Page 4

CONFLICT IN LIBYA

BRITISH TANKS HITTING BACK FEROCIOUSLY AGAINST NAZI THRUSTS TOWARDS ACROMA. KNIGHTSBRIDGE NOT YET ATTACKED. (By Telegraph—Press Association—Copyright) (Received This Day, 11.50 a.m.) LONDON, June 14. General Rommel hurled a large number of his remaining tanks against Acroma' from two directions—one from the west and others from the south-west—re-ports Reuter’s correspondent in Libya. The battle is proceeding in the worst dust storm for weeks. Rommel semmingiy is trying to smash the Allied armoured units before launching a serious drive against the Tobruw perimeter. The Allied tanks are hitting back ferociously. | Reuter’s Cairo correspondent says the enemy infantry are still holding positions along the Trig-Capuzzo escarpment from which the enemy is lobbing shells in the general direction of Tobruk, hoping to interfere with Allied transport columns. These efforts have not yet achieved any success. German wheeled columns are still trying to harass General Ritchie’s supply routes in the El Adem area, but British columns are attacking them with excellent results. The Allied stronghold of Knightsbridge has not yet been seriously attacked and is receiving adequate supplies. All is quiet on the Gazala line, except for South African and British infantry expeditions against the Italians. A message from Cairo says General Koenig, who commanded the Free French at Bir Hacheim, is safe and well. According to the Norwegian radio, the Germans took prisoner BrigadierGenerals Stephens, Wanstead, Butcher and Valentine during fighting around Bi'r Hacheim. A German communique states that operations in North Africa “are taking a favourable course.” BATTLE AREA POSITION OF THE ARMIES DEFINED. NAZIS GAIN SOME ADVANTAGE OF POSITION. (Received This Day, 1 p.m.) LONDON, June 14. The Imperial line in Libya runs southward from Gazala, then eastward, linking up with our position north of the Knightbridge box, thence to the El Adem box. Some German armoured units, after being repulsed at El Adem, detoured north-eastward and then swung westward to Acroma. A fierce tank battle is going on in the region between Acroma and Bir Beleflar, which is just west of the Knightsbridge “The Times” correspondent in the Western Desert says this battle is likely to be one of the most important in the whole campaign. The British United Press correspondent in the Western Desert, reporting on the fighting of the past two days, says we threw in General Grants and Vaientines against the Italian , and German armoured forces at Bir Belaffar on Friday and the battle continued after dark. The skyline was lit by burning enemy tanks. General Rommel brought up reinforcements and the battle went on on Saturday, when British and Italian and German tanks were mixed up in a general melee, eastward of this battle, German armoured units and artillery moved up an escarpment on a line a few miles east of *Bir Belaffar to a few miles east of El Adem. Grouped on this line are the bulk of the 15th and 21st Panzer divisions, also the 98th Light Division, backed by a tremendous gathering of motor transport. General Rommel apparently plans to ge the 15th Panzer Division across the coast road east of Tobruk. ' , “The Times” says General Rommel lost heavily at Bir Hacheim in the process of obtaining a more favourable situation, but he has m fact achieved it and the present offensive, for this reason, is considerably more dangerous than its predecessor. Thus far our armoured forces have been able io inflict losses and harass the enemy and sometimes to deflect him, but not to stop him.