ESCAPES FROM TOBRUK

Wairarapa Times-Age, 26 June 1942, Page 4

ESCAPES FROM TOBRUK

SUCCESSFUL DESERT TRAVERSE MADE BY 200 SOLDIERS. OFFICERS MAKE USE OF AXIS CONVOY. (British Official Wireless.) (Received This Day. 9.40 a.m.) RUGBY, June 25. An agency correspondent in Egypt reports that two hundred British and South African troops arrived safely back in the British lines recently after a bold escape from Tobruk. They left Tobruk before their southern sector of the perimeter had been captured and drove 75 miles into the desert, where they were challenged by a German military policeman. They shot him and the convoy, increasing speed, went on without being in danger. Another daring escape is also reported. Two British officers drove out from the perimeter of Tobruk straight on to a road where there was a long ItaloGerman convoy of troops who were being carried east in captured British trucks. The officers waited for an opportune moment to fall in with the convoy, and at leisure drove on with the Germans. They were not challenged and when they had got nearly to Solium, drove in straight past the escarpment to find themselves right inside the British lines.

AIR REINFORCEMENTS NEEDED IN MIDDLE EAST. PARTICULARLY LONG-RANGE MACHINES. (By Telegraph—Press Association.—Copyright) (Received This Day, 10.0 a.m.) LONDON, June 25. “The loss of the Cyrenaican aerodromes, Coupled with the loss of Tobruk, has thrown a heavy burden on the Allied Air Forces in the Middle East, whose planes must now fly long distances before reaching vital sea lanes,” says Reuter’s Cairo correspondent. “High authorities emphasise the need for reinforcements of long-dis-tance machines, such as Liberators, long-range sea reconnaissance planes and torpedo-carriers. The Allied policy of keeping fighters close to the battle area has been made possible by a fantastic number of sorties. From the beginning of General Rommel’s offers sive until June 17, Allied fighter bombers destroyed 1,100 transport vehicles.”

BRITISH RETIREMENT NECESSARY TO PERMIT REGROUPING. (British Official Wireless.) (Received This Day, 9.55 a.m.) RUGBY, June 25. A Cairo communique states: “Our mobile forces engaged the enemy throughout yesterday and inflicted heavy losses. Enemy advanced elements by last night had reached a point south-east of Sidi Barrani. Our troops were withdrawn from positions at Solium and Sidi Omar.” This withdrawal makes it clear that it is not intended to hold the frontier defence line, apart from the delaying actions which have been proceeding. Such a long line of defences as that of the Egyptian frontier could only be held by a very large number of troops and superiority over the enemy in armoured forces to prevent his coming round the flank. The defeat the British forces suffered in Libya and the long retreat which followed requires a considerable regrouping and reorganising of the forces which could not be carried out in forward positions within immediate striking distance of the enemy.

WORD OF CHEER GENERAL MACARTHUR’S MESSAGE. TO SIR CLAUDE AUCHINLECK. MELBOURNE, June 25. A message of encouragement has been sent by the Commander-in-Chief, South-west Pacific, General MacArthur, to General Auchinleck, Com-mander-in-Chief, Middle East. The cable reads: “You can do it. You can still fight your way through. Remember Wellington.”