SUPPLIES FOR ROMMEL

Wairarapa Times-Age, 20 July 1942, Page 4

SUPPLIES FOR ROMMEL

CARRIED IN FRENCH SHIPS ACCORDING TO SWISS REPORT. SHIPS LOADED AT MARSEILLES & TOULON. (By Telegraph—Press Association —Copyright) (Received This Day, Noon.) LONDON, July 19. The Germans are still sending reinforcements to Egypt through Greece and Crete, says an Ankara message. Heavier materials are being sent via Naples and Benghazi. A large number of new tanks is reported to have arrived from Italy to replace those Rommel has lost. The Tass Agency quotes a Geneva report that Rommel is using French ships and French communications to supply the North African army. Fiftythree ships left Marseilles between June 1 and June 25, direct for Algeria, cr via Spain. Twenty ships loaded at Toulon between June 1 and June 25 from warehouses which are under German naval guard.

DINING UNDER STARS AUCHINLECK’S BATTLEFIELD TOURS. (Received This Day, Noon.) LONDON, July 19. General Auchinleck’s personal influence on the Alamein battle is indicated in the following extract from a letter received in London from an officer who recently visited the Eighth Army: “I found General Auchinleck in excellent form, careering about the battlefields in a Jeep flying the Union Jack, dining under the stars and sleeping under a map lorry.” The latest Middle East communique also is said in London to show that the enemy’s persistent attempts to dislodge our troops from the important Ruwersak Ridge so far have failed.

DAMAGING RAIDS ON ENEMY AFRICAN BASES. (British Official Wireless.) (Received This Day, 11.45 a.m.) RUGBY, July 19. Dust storms greatly reduced air activity over the Western Desert yesterday. In a few engagements between fighters, a number of Messerschmitt 109 s and Macchis were damaged. Tobruk was raided in force by bombers on Friday. So many conflagrations were started that the waterfront appeared to be a chain of fire, full of explosions. One ship was hit. Mensa Matruh was also raided, bombs falling close to one vessel, and a large fire and several explosions were started. Last night heavy bombers again raided Tobruk, starting large fires. During a small raid on Friday night over Malta, one enemy divebomber was shot down, and during raids yesterday several enemy planes were damaged or probably destroyed.