Evening star., 1942-09-23
British in Libva
Drive 500 Miles
Behind Axis Line
Daring Attack Made
On ; VitoI Points;
Heavy Toll Claimed
BY the Associated Press,

By the Associated Press.
CAIRO, Sept. 23.-Daring
British desert patrol raids 500
miles behind the Axis Egyptian
line on three vital enemy points
the big supply port OF Bengasi,
the nearby airbase site of BARGE
and the outpost garrison at the
Gialo Oasis deep in the desert
were disclosed by the British
command today.
Announcement of the most spec
tacular large-scale land raiding in
the whole war on the Mediterranean
front, in which the British said
heavy blows were dealt enemy forces,
supplies and planes, came only after
the Italians yesterday had acknowl-
edged a six-day battle at the Gialo
oasis.
Gialo, remote outpost about 235
miles due south of Bengasi and 500
miles southwest of the Ell Alamein-
Qattara battle line in Egypt, was
ATTACKED on the night of Septem-
Der Is.
Bengasi and BARGE were attacked
two nights before-the same night
as the big Commando raid on To-
bruk, some 220 miles to the east of
Bengasi
Considerable Casualties.
The communique said the British
desert patrols which carried out the
raids now have arrived back at their
bases. It listed these accomplish
ments:
At Gialo-"considerable casual
ties" inflicted on the enemy garri-
son and dumps Of ammunition and
supplies destroyed by artillery fire.
At Bengasi and Barce-more than
30 aircraft damaged or destroyed on
the ground and several others 'shot
down while attacking our troops;
heavy casualties inflicted on enemy
personnel and motor transport"
Britain's heavy bombers returned
for a new air blow on Bengasi yes
terday, the communique said, set
ting two ships afire with direct hits.
Medium and light bombers, in a
night attack on the Ell Daba re-
gion September 81, it said, caused a
large fire and explosion on an Axis
airfield.
Artillery Exchanges.
Except for artillery exchanges In
the southern sector, however, there
was little action aground or .aloft
in the main battle area of Egypt
Yesterday, the communique said.
In the customary night patrolling
during the preceding hours of dark
ness, it reported, British units har-
ried enemy patrols and working
parties and brought in a few pris-
oners.
The Italian communique yesterday
said the Gialo garrison had repulsed
an attack "by superior mechanical
enemy forces" at dawn on Septem-
ber Is and that the British had
withdrawn toward the south only on
Monday, six days later, where an
Axis motorized column approached,
apparently to relieve the garrison.
The British avoided any mention
OF the size of the forces engaged in
the desert forays, but the Italian
declaration that their own Gialo
garrison was outnumbered and the
heavy losses inflicted on the Axis led
to the belief that it was by far the
largest patrol ever sent on such a
far-reaching expedition across the
desert wilderness.
The combined land, sea and air
stabs at Bengasi and Tobruk were
said by one informed source to have
complicated the enemys supply
difficulties.
Blows to Rommel Supply Line.
Nazi Field Marshal Erwin Rom
mel's problem in getting men and
material to his line on the Ell Ala
mein front, this source said, already
had been made acute by the loss
OF heavily-laden ships attacked by
planes and submarines and the
sinking of many large power barges
which moved much of his munitions
and equipment to the battle zone.
Although there was no Official
comment beyond the communique,
British sources regarded it as likely
that all the British forces went
overland to and from their Bengasi-
BARGE objectives with no participa-
ton by sea-borne troops.
These sources said the accom-
plishment, therefore was all the
more striking since the desert
raiders carried their own artillery,
even anti-aircraft guns
Desert tracks invariably lead to
oases-noW all Axis-held-and these
sources said the coastal objectives
presumably were reached only by
taking to the open country. They
suggested that the patrols scattered
into many small units to minimize
the danger of being detected from
fhn air