Evening star., 1942-11-13
Major Libyon Port
Is Abandoned bv
Axis Armies
BY the Associated Press.

JANASAAAA6 VAC 4OoI VI 4NOI Ill A1IlCd
without a struggle.
AS the Imperial 9th Army's west
ward race and the sh-American
thrust eastward from French North
Africa swiftly closed around the
remnants of the Axis forces, the
British announced that Raj fight
ers had shot down six big Italiar
troop carrying planes flying north
probably from Tunisia," and filled
with German troops.
This meant possibly that the Ger
mans hastily were pulling out OF
Iunisia, the last buffer between the
Allies in the west and Tripoli, the
capital and final citadel of italian
Libya.
Can Allied headquarters
spokesman in London said he did
not know definitely that the six
destroyed transport planes-shot
down presumably by long-range
British fighters from Malta
meant a precipitous Axis exit
from Tunisia, but Il hope it does
mean that"
tOther sources speculated that
the troops shot down might have
been technicians sent to Tunisia
solely to destroy equipment
which might help the Allies)
Stragglers Picked Up.
Hot on Marshal Erwin Rommers
heels, the 9Th Army picked up Axis
stragglers in the Ell Adem area. lust
inland from the Mediterranean
south of Tobruk, and Allied planes
bounded the retreat, hitting road
transport beyond Tobruk and sink
ing several supply laden barges
moving westward in the Mediter-
ranean.
Allied air forces had a field day
yesterday. Not one enemy fighter
protected the enemy truck column
leaving the American and British
flyers a clear field to do heavy
damage.
Despite the vast scope of their all
operations, including the assault on
the transport planes and damage to
southbound schooner in the Cen
tral Mediterranean, only one Allied
plane was missing.
Air scouts said the enemy still
was moving westward from Tobruk
as fast as his transport could carry
him.
Much of his remaining stores ap-
parently were left in Tobruk, de-
stroyed and burned. When Raj
raiders bombed the port Wednesday
night, they saw more than 100 fires
many in clusters and brilliant white
like burning explosives.
(The Germans acknowledged
that they had set the torch thor
oughly to all they had to leave at
Tobruk, but that an undisclosed
amount of artillery. and armored
equipment was saved for later
on" where Marshal Rommel has
decided on last stand.)
ReinfOrcements Flown by Nazis.
The communique did not elaborate
on the indication that the Axis was
fleeing from Tunisia, but only yes
terday Allied sources had reported
that German reinforcements were
being flown into the French protec-
torate to meet the combined Amer
ican-British force rapidly approach
ing it from Algeria.
With Tobruk, vital and normal
ly defensible position, already in
British hands, there was no indi-
cation where Marshal Rommel might
try-if at ALTO halt his retreat.
The British already have pushed
him back 300 miles from the El
Alamein line and virtually with each
mile his manpower and armored
strength have dwindled under cease
less land and air attack.
(Reuters said today it had re-
corded broadcast by the Rabat
radio reporting that "Axis ships
have left Bengasi, probably after
evacuating the port Rabat is
now in American hands; it is not
known definitely who operates
the radio station there. Bengasi
is 230 miles airline west of To-
bruk.)
British headquarters announced
that the 9Th Army had occupied
Bardia, 236 miles west of Ell Ala
mein and about Is miles deep in
Libya from the Egyptian border
and that Allied planes were ham,
mering at Marshal Rommers trans.
port near Tobruk.
Then, indicative of the furious
pace of the chase across the African
desert, a special communique soon
after made the terse announcement,
"Tobruk is reported in our hands
this morning."
Harbor Valuable Prize,
Tobruk's harbor, important as 8
source OF sea-borne supply for thu
forces In the desert, is the chic
territorial prize Of the battle ovel
the sandy wastes.
This was the second time it hat
fallen to the British.
1t was captured first from it
Italian defenders in Gen. Sir Archi
bald P. Wavell's 1940-1 drive acros
Africa. When the battle swaye,
back, the Axis counterdrive wa
compelled to detour around it an,
it stayed in British possession for /
months. For eight of them, heroi
British and Allied garrison with
stood siege until Marshal Rommel,
troops stormed into the port las
June q.
Now that Marshal Rommel la
lost what might have been an Axi
African Dunkerque, the next plac'
British observers believe he nigh
make q stand is at El Agheila, OF
the Cult OF Sirte.
There he would have the advan
tage Of defending : narrow passag'
(see TOBRUCK, Page A-20