DESERT THRUSTS

Wairarapa Times-Age, 20 November 1942, Page 3

DESERT THRUSTS

THE MOVEMENT FROM LAKE CHAD OBJECTIVE NOT YET DEFINED. EIGHTH ARMY MAINTAINING PACE. (By Telegraph—Press Association—Copyright) LONDON, November 18. , With the Eighth Army a little over a day's march from Benghazi comes news of an Allied column moving against the Axis forces from the Lake Chad area, the Fighting French territory south of the Libyan Desert. The Morocco radio, which gave the information, i did not state whether the column is designed to play a part in the Tunisian or the Libyan strategy. Cyrene has been left far behind inGeneral Montgomery’s relentless pursuit. • The Eighth Army has now swung south-westward on a wide front, but the pace of the advance is unchecked. The Allied air forces continue to exact a heavy toll. The “Daily Telegraph’s” Cairo correspondent says that though Rommel’s force appears to be spread out over a long stretch of road the main Axis force is probably at Barce and on both sides of Benghazi. Further forces have pushed on to El Agheila and beyond. Though the bulk of the enemy, will probably succeed in gaining El Agheila, it may be possible .to cut off some part of the rearguard as General Wavell did two years ago. The German news agency reports that strong British motorised patrol troops are attempting to push through southern Cyrenaica by way of Msus, on the direct desert route below Benghazi, in order to envelop the Axis rearguards, “but the attempts failed.” The agency added that. Axis rearguards were engaged in fighting as far west of Benghazi.