Evening star., 1942-06-07
Libya Correspondents
Escape Being Caught
In Nazi Tank Trap
Sortie Gives Uneosy
Moments; Flight Made
In Dark by Auto
BY EDWARD KENNEDY,

Associated Press War Correspondent.
WITH THE BRITISH FORCES
IN LIBYA, June GA strong Ger
man raiding party of Is tanks with
q screen of armored cars, storm guns
and other support, lunged 20 miles
east of the main battle area last
night in an attempt to disrupt Brit
ish communications.
The German African corps was
pursuing favored hit-and-run tao
tic. but the raid produced little in
permanent results. The sortie, how
ever, gave some uneasy moments to
. group Of war correspondents and
precipitated an an-night flap
q term used by the army to describe
confused situations caused by
thrust 50 common in desert fighting.
We had just settled down for the
night south Of Ell Adem. Suddenly
Trigh Capuzzo-and old east-west
slave trade trail-in front OF us was
thick with rapidly Withdrawing sup
ply vehicles whose Indian drivers
spoke Of having been chased by
German tanks" which appeared sud-
denly as If out of nowhere.
The night was falling and the des-
ert west of us became alive with
patches OF dancing flames. They
were small gasoline dumps fired to
keep them from falling to the enemy.
Almost Surrounded.
Soon flashes Of gunfire could be
seen. still far away but coming
nearer. They were from German
tanks being engaged by the with
drawing armored cars.
We were almost surrounded by
minefields or other obstacles. Our
only way out Of the pocket we had
selected as camp was by following
a line at right angles to the course
which the battle was taking.
We decided to leave. The Axis
Is fond Of capturing correspondents
and already has nine in the bag.
We started out by car across the
bumpy desert floor, keeping to our
line by compass. 1t was pitch dark
and we could risk no lights.
Flashes indicated running battle
was proceeding at about the same
speed we were travelling, and 1t was
a question who would reach the
Intersection first.
But the battle slowed down and
we beat it there by a mile.
Air Attack by Axis.
After four hours we reached a
spot near the Tobruk perimeter and
sprawled out on the desert sand
and soon were sound asleep. But
not for long. AS the moon came up,
the Axis unloosed an air attack on
Tobruk.
The thud Of bombs shook the
ground and the sky was filled with
Tobruk's answer-ack ack bursts
and flaming onions. The raid lasted
until just before dawn. Then the
German planes winged over us to
the home fields knowing that at the
first light, fighters Of the Raj
dawn patrol would be after them.
For the fifth time yesterday the
italians asked the Free French at
Bir Hacheim to surrender their
stronghold at the southern extrem-
ity Of the Ain ell Gazala line. A
Colonel approached the fortress with
white flag and on being received,
said:
Behold our tanks
Replies With Thanks
Gen. Koenig, the garrison's tall
Alsatian commander, replied with
thanks. Well he might as an am
munition column had just entered
the fortress and ammunition had
been its only shortage.
The Italians left, threatening to
get the Germans to come there for
a bigger storming. But the Ger
mans were occupied elsewhere In
the desert and did not come.
The italians have lost so tanks
trying to take Bir Hacheim.
It's defenders consist of the Batal-
lion du Pacifique made up of French
fighters from New Caledonia and
Tahiti, foreign legion fighting unit.
French marines and parts of the
third mobile Indian brigade which
was repaired there after meeting
the first thrust of the German pam
ger columns and suffering consider
able losses.