Evening star., 1941-05-04
British Forces Stab
Behind Axis Troops
Holding SaIum Area
Germans Reported Thrown
Back in Tank Assaults
Against Tobruk
BY the Associated Press.

CAIRO, Egypt, May 3.-A British
mechanical force cutting behind the
German and Italian positions on the
Egyptian frontier has raced across
the desert plateau and taken by
surprise considerable body of Axis
troops. Near Eastern headquarters
announced tonight.
This bold sortie, reminiscent of
the tactics used in routing the Ital-
tans last winter, was carried out in
the Salum sector while the Axis
forces stabbed repeatedly at British
held Tobruk, 80 miles to the west.
only to wind up still in the south
western corner of that ports outer
ring of defenses.
The thwarted Tobruk assaults
were declared to have cost the Axis
forces heavy losses. These attacks
were carried out for the most part
by Germans using tanks with con-
siderable air support. The Near
East command said two Stukas
were bagged.
Military sources said the persist
ence of the Axis attacks indicated
fully the British hold on Tobruk
was stalling the Axis drive across
Northern Africa. They added that
continuation of these attacks WAS
to be expected.
Bardia Tobruk Road Cut.
The troops which swept behind
the Axis line at Salum were said
to have cut the Bardia- -Tobruk road
for time while they were round
ing up the surprised Germans and
Italians. In addition to the pris-
oners they brought back a big field
gun.
This daring maneuver also gained
useful information concerning dis
position of the Axis troops Mill
tary quarters said the foray showed
the British still retain their old
cunning at desert warfare and are
not losing the initiative.
Thus the Army of the Nile, out
numbered and awaiting reinforce
ment from the East, pursued the
harassment of the German and
Italian forces which rolled the Brit
ish back from Libya to the Egyptian
border but, so far, have been unable
to continue their Suez-bound drive
from that point.
simultaneously with these land
operations, R. A. F. bombers pound
ed Axis shipping and an official an
nouncement said a destroyer and a
merchant ship were sunk in the
Mediterranean.
Additional r. A. F. units raided
Axis communications in the west
ern desert and were declared to have
set afire a number of vehicles in
q convoy near Ell Alden. The r. A.
F. command announced that Ger
man bomber and two fighters were
downed in the Tobruk area and the
South African air force was credited
with downing one Italian craft and
destroying another on the ground
in Ethiopia.
Axis Drives at Tobruk.
All day yesterday the main Axis
forces again drove at the defenses
of Tobruk. But by nightfall, the
British Near Eastern headquarters
said, the Axis pressure had spent
itself and, up to this morning. the
attacks had not been renewed.
The Germans and their Italian
helpers flung tank after tank at
Tobruk. but, as General Headquar-
ters here put it: Our troops held
their ground and inflicted heavy
losses on the enemy"
The British acknowledged that
the attackers have cracked the outer
ring of Tobruk's Notifications, but
some of these forces have been
thrown out and none of them ever
reached the inner ring of defenses.
This inner ring is several miles long
and much stronger than the outer
forts.
axis reports say numerous
classmates and several hundred
prisoners have been taken in the
battle Of Tobruk, but they admit
determined resistance from the
British garrison)
Today's General Headquarters bull
ietin on Ethiopia reported a further
advance from north and south on
Amba Alaji, 100 miles north of Brit
ish-captured Bessie. The column
descending from the north captured
"a commanding feature overlooking
the main position" it was stated;
the one from the south took Waldia,
80 miles north of Bessie
Six hundred Italian and 400 colo
nial prisoners were counted in
Northern Ethiopia; in the south, the
communique said the Italian post
Of Fike was taken after a sharp
fight and 1876 Italians. 100 colonials,
guns and some materiel were cap
tured.