Evening star., 1941-12-29

British Troops Clash
With Retreating Axis
Forces in Libya
At Least Port Of Enemy
Forced to Pull OFF to
West, Cairo Reports

British columns striking from the
south fought the retreating main
Axis force in the Agedabia area yes
terday and compelled at least part
Of the enemy to pull OF to the west,
the British command announced in
Cairo today.
The Axis forces fleeing to the west
lost six tanks, communique said.
The r. A. F. heavily attacked the
Axis troops isolated in Bardia and
kept up raids on enemy motor
transports on the roads westward
from kgedabia, damaging or de-
strcying a considerable number Of
vehicles"
The German high command an
nounced that Axis forces In Libya
had destroyed So British tanks and
other motor vehicles in q fierce
counterattack in the Agedabia zone,
80 miles south Of Bengasi.
Transports Declared Sunk.
At the same time. German bomb
ing planes and submarines. smash
ing at British ships along the North
African coast, were credited by the
high command in Berlin with dam
aging a destroyer and two merchant
ships and sinking two transports
aggregating 5000 tons.
The transports, communiQue
said, were sunk by submarines of
Matruh, Egypt, in an attack on
military convoy. Another ship was
reported struck by torpedo during
the same attack.
German bombers scored several
direct hits on the destroyer off To-
bruk and also on conveyed sailing
ship, the bulletin added.
German planes also were said to
have attacked airdromes and port
installations at Malta by day and
night with good effect.
Harbor Front in Ruins.
The r. A. F. reported in Cairo that
about Is hulkS of ships lie in the
inner and outer harbors' of Ben
gasf, the Italian port and base which
fell to the onrushing British last
week THE whole harbor front is
a battered and crumbling ruin" as
a result of the R. A. F's raids pre-
ceding the cityS fall, the announce
ment said.
II added that "the natives appear
quite unconcerned at the presence
of British and Imperial troops"
Units of the r. A. F. with the aid
OF Free French bombers have struck
fresh blows at the Axis lifeline in
Libya. British headquarters in Cairo
reported yesterday.
British and French warplanes
were said TO have ranged far to the
west in raids on ships and supplies
in the principal Libyan port OF
Tripoli and the harbor of Zuara, a
| railhead 70 miles farther west and
cnly 80 miles from the border OF
French Tunisia.
Axis ReinfOrcements.
London observers yesterday ex-
pressed a growing conviction that
| the Axis is rushing heavy REM
! forcements to Tripoli in spite Of the
constant toll Of transports being
taken by the British feet In the
1
The London radio, heard in New
York by c. B. S., quoted Reuters
correspondent with the Imperial
9th Army as saying that enemy
bombers based on Crete and Greece
now are attacking our lines and
communications"
The attacks on Tripoli and Zuara
took place Friday night. AT TripoH
capital of Libya and only major
supply port in Axis hands since the
fall of Bengasi, the bombers have
scored direct hits on ships in the
harbor. started large fire and ma
chine-gunned transport steaming
in the direction of HONS, 70 miles
TO the east
Two merchant ships were the
principal targets at Zuara, the COM
munique reported, and one of them
exploded as the result of direct
hit. Supply dumps in the town also
were bombed.
An official Italian news agency
dispatch via Bern said yesterday
that the death penalty had been
decreed in Libya for grave cases OF
food boarding.