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AXIS ADVANCE STOPPED AT
KNIGHTSBRIDGE
Heavy British Attacks On Enemy
Supply Columns
LONDON, June 8. — The latest communique from
Cairo states Allied artillery at Knightsbridge yesterday
stopped an attack by enemy armoured forces. Free French
of Bir Hahheim jepulsed another attack by tanks, sup-
ported by enemy, forces.
British columns are actively harassing enemy supply
lines and the R.A.F. and S.A1A.F. have been most suc
cessful in attacks on enemy concentrations and. supply
colams. . .
It is authoritatively Btated there is
no reason to believe that Rommel in
the lnst few days has been able to
widen the gap ta Libya. Apparently
he was bringing up supplies through
the gap, and not around Bir Ilakhcim.
Three battles are raging ta Libya,
firstly around Knightsbridge, which
comprises fortified slit trenches ta a
hill with a guard's brigade of artillery
protected by minefields, secondly the
outskirts of the cauldron, and thirdly
south of Bir Hakhelm.
Reuter's correspondent on the
Western Desert states "I watched the
tank battle over the desert. The sky
was lit by Verey lights and gun flashes
and 50 lorries blazing ta the valley be
low.. -Whenever tile Panzers came
within range, our artillery drove them
back. German long-range guns at
tempting to knock out our guns hurtl
ed .shell after' shell into Knightsbridge
for an hour, but no man or gun was
hit.
Guardsmen stood up. in slit trenches
and cheered as a British cruiser tank
charged a German tank which was
pinned against the minefield. The
German tank exploded after a direct
hit from point-blank range. The
British tank crashed Into the wreck
age but backed out safely.
The correspondent of the British
United Press In the Western Desert in
a dispatch on Saturday night, the lat
est to reach London, said the battle
has reached new heights of violence.
The Issue Is still undecided. The
worst fighting experienced by British
troops this war continued unbroken
for a fortnight with thirst, heat and
dust, and blasting shot and shell mak
ing life a misery.
The Afrlka Korps is doing its utmost
to throw us off balance and salvage
some sort of victory. Rommel, sent
70 tanks through , the hew, gap across
the minefields near Bir Hpkheim in an
attempt to take the: Imperial forces
from, the rear. H .
A. Cairo .message . says .Tqmar :i?as
been held . jagatast ' repeatod, German
.assault's.;, ' ;
Rommel Still' Mejiace. .
Reuter's ' Cairo correspondent ' says.
Saturday, was ;a, most, satisfactory day
for. the Allies, but it must not be.
assumed that the enemy: la ho longer:
a menace, despite Us : terrific losses.
Many- -of the -enemy's "cauldron",
.positions . have been seriously I dinted,
but, numerous possibilities for an
offensive,, are still open to him.
The Libya correspondent,- of the
"Daily Telegraph" says Bir Hakhelm
has successfully resisted bitter new
attacks from 80 German tanks and '70
Stuka dive bombers. " .
., The. correspondent of "The Times"
In the Western Desert, says the Ger-'
man- column wblph .attempted to
-take the British from the rear at Bir
Hakhelmi was 18 miles long, -and con-'
slsted ' of 50 ' to 60 tanks, '2000' motor
transports, motorised Infantry, , and
mobile -v artillery. : Another . German
column which reached the neighbour
hood of- Elf 'Adem was not merely : a
raldlnfc column, but was Intended1 to
make a large scale determined' couht-
er'httack against dur-'flank. ; '" -
- Imperial .troops are -ustaft ' mostly
light tanks which the German gUns
out-range, but which engage the.
enemy and manage to deflect the
column and hang on until heavier
armoured forces arrive.
The correspondent, reviewing the
campaign, said "The ability to deliv
er a knockout blow- depends on the
number of heavy tanks we can throw
ta. We are much stronger ta fire
gower .than the previous campaign,
ut could well be stronger still. Even
when in vastly superior numbers,
light tanks are practically Impotent
against the heavily armoured Ger
man medium and heavy tanks."
'By nightfall on Friday squadrons
of the RAF. and- SA.A.F. had car
ried out many hundreds of sorties in
11 days ta the Western Desert.
The highlight of Friday's pro
gramme was a highly successful at
tack by a squadron of Boston bomb
ers of the SA.AF. and a formation
of Kitty Hawk fighter-bombers on an
important target of over 300 enemy
transport vehicles and a cluster of
enemy tanks.
Although faced by a barrage of
flak. Bostons and Kittl-bombers
pressed home their attack and saw
all -bombs fall right among the vehi
cles. Reports Indicate that many
bombs burst among the tanks and
widespread destruction was caused.
Four .- Messerschmitt 109's attempted
to Interfere with the bombers, but
they never got within battle range.
Bostons and Kittl-bombers were pro
tected by a fighter screen which kept
the enemy well at bay. All aircraft
returned safely to their base after
this . operation. ..
"Swarms ol Fighters"
Throughout the week there were
swarms of fighters and fighter-bom
bers over German forces In the "caul
dron" pouring down hundreds of
bombs , and hundreds of rounds of
cannon fire. One pilot said the area
was a confused mass of Are ' belching
vehicles. The pilots were getting more
and more expert.
A number of Kittyhawks to - the
east of Bir Hakhelm tore into large
forces of- Messerschmltts. The squad
ron leader said he forgot about the
bombs before he dived to -the 'attack.
Allied planes shot down three Mes
serschmltts - before Sweeping lower
and releasing their bombs on groups
of:itransporLs, causing considerable
damage and 'confusion." " !
.-.Berlin radio claims that'Italian and
German tanks in (North ' Africa, sup
ported .by strong air - 'formations, are
successfully : ' countor-attacklng and
beating the enemy,' who' are encircled
at various ( points, and are wiptag them'
put. , ' , ...' . .
"Berita radio- sayq Lieutenant Hans
Marseille, 23, is , the , most successful
fighter, pilot In North Africa. He has 75
. victories. . . i
Berlin radio sqys- one .Admiral and
two. brigadier, generals are among the
3000 Britishers captured- in Libya.
A Valetta communique says there
were three alerts (on Saturday night
during which .our. anti-aircraft batter
ies destroyed one Junkers 88. Fighters
early , yesterday shqt down a German
. fighter, .- Bombs - caused some civilian
damage, and casualties In scattered
localities;. : r l T; v
A Rome communique says British
planes ta . several waves on Saturday
night' again bombed Messina and dam
aged, many civilian buildings.
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