EIGHTH ARMY

Wairarapa Times-Age, 4 July 1942, Page 3

EIGHTH ARMY

POSITION DESCRIBED AS CRITICAL

SHORTAGE OF TANKS & GUNS,

SUCCESSFUL NEW ZEALAND COUNTER-ATTACK.

LONDON, July 3. The New Zealanders on Wednesday afternoon successfully counterattacked a German light motorised force of the 90th Division. The British reinforcements are beginning to show a marked effect. Their 25-pounders and six-pound anti-tank guns are hammering away with great gusto, and more are being rushed to the front. The military correspondent of the “Daily Express” says: “The reinforcements which are reaching General Auchinleck may yet save the day, but it ig clear from Mr Churchill’s figures in the House of Commons that the Eighth Army is woefully short of tanks and guns powerful enough to stand up to Rommel’s heavyweights. Should Rommel’s armour* and gunpower prove too much for the funnel defenders, the Eighth Army can only be saved by a great, territorial sacrifice. It is idle to say otherwise than that the position of the Eighth Army is acutely critical. The greatly increased pressure against the British positions in the funnel covering Alexandria had by last night jeopardised our front line. Rommel was repulsed on Wednesday, but he came on again with considerable force yesterday and again overran some of our defensive positions.” The “Daily Telegraph’s” correspondent with the Eighth Army says that the full weight of the panzers has not yet been thrown in. German prisoners reveal that they reached North Africa by air from the South of Italy via Sicily, and also from the Balkans via Crete after the opening of Rommel’s offensive on May 26. Rommel has four armoured divisions, not three, as was formerly believed. The fourth is the Italian Littorio Division. The Cairo correspondent of the Associated Press of Great Britain says the enemy fighter activity has increased, but the Allies retain the mastery o£ the skies, striking heavily against the invaders. R.A.F. Wellingtons and American Liberators made heavy night raids on enemy formations and set fire to innumerable vehicles. The Allies again attacked this morning, finding “plump” targets, according to an R.A.F. officer. The Premier of Egypt, Nahas Pasha, has taken severe measures against subversive persons. Two hundred who are suspected of Fifth Column work were rounded up during the past week. Carefree Cairo is taking on a battle atmosphere, and the cabarets, music halls, and bars during the night are almost deserted. Motor convoys of British-troops, stripped to the waist, are rolling through the streets to the front.

AXIS TROOPS MOVE THROUGH FRENCH NORTH AFRICA. ACCORDING TO THE TASS AGENCY. LONDON, July 1. The Tass news agency, Moscow, says it is reported from Geneva that reinforcements for Rommel were landed at Bone and Bizerta, in Tunis, whence they were sent to Sfax and Gabes by rail. German troops and materials are reaching Rommel by French sea routes. Two German mechanised brigades were landed in Algeria in the first few days of June. Large concentrations of troops and material were observed at Gabes.