Evening star., 1942-06-04
L-ibyu
Continued From First Page)

Italian troops and some German
tanks approached the defending po-
sitions at Bir Hacheim, but the at
tack was not pressed home"
Supply Lines Assaulted.
"Our columns in the neighbor-
hood attacked the enemy in the
rear" the communique said, while
the RAF successfully engaged
Stuka dive bombers which assaulted
Bir Hacheim.
RAF headquarters announced
that one fighter squadron shot down
seven Junkers dive bombers in the
Bir Hacheim air battles.
Declaring it was giving maximum
support to the British land forces,
the RAF communique reported
concentrations of Axis mechanical
units south of Bir Hacheim were
effectively bombed and machine
gunned from a low level" and nu-
merous motor transport vehicles
damaged and set on fire.
Night bombing raids also were
made against the Axis main landing
grounds at Derna and Tmimi, the
RAF said. Eight British planes
were admitted lost.
Pantelleria Raided.
British bombers, attacking Axis
detectives on a wide front in the
Mediterranean war theater, also
raided the island of Pantelleria,
midway between Sicily and the
North African coast, and Cagliari,
in Sardinia, Tuesday night, the
RAF Near East headquarters re-
ported today. Details of the attacks
on the italian bases were not given.
Strong Free French and British
forces we're said to be aSSaulting
German supply lines which flow
around the British position at Ro-
tunda Segnali, A miles west OF
KnightSbridge.
The Free French at Bir Hacheim
were said to be commanded by Gen.
Pierre Koenig, an Alsatian who
fought with the Foreign Legion in
the Riff warfare, helped capture
Narvik in the Norwegian campaign,
was in Brittany during the battle
of France and then Joined the De
Gaulle forces in French Equatorial
Africa. Gen. Koenig was chief of
staff of the Free French forces in
the Syrian battle.
Furious Nazi Tank Assaults.
The communique made no refer
ence to the situation developing
north of Bir Hacheim, where
Marshal Rommers armored columns
previously had been reported at
tempting to widen emile breach
in the British line through which
the Axis leader was feeding sup
plies to his hard-pressed forces at
lamar.
The Germans were reported to be
making furious tank assaults on
both walls of the narrow corridor
and it appeared that Marshal Rom
mel had decided to throw the full
weight of his mechanical equip
ment into a mighty effort to smash
the British line.
The British, determined to hold
their positions, concentrated heavy
artillery bombardment on the cor
ridor from north and south, and
Raj planes blasted Axis forces NOV
ing into the breach.
Fresh Troops Brought Up.
The southern wall of the gap in
the British lines was reported yes
terday to be about II miles north
of Bir Hacheim, around which a
German armored column swept 10
days ago in a swift encircling thrust
aimed at strategic Tobruk.
Part of this column still is en-
gagged in a terrific battle with Brit
ish armored forces in the vicinity
of Knightsbridge, desert trail juno
ton Is miles southwest OF Tobruk
and some Is or 20 miles east OF the
Ain El Gazala-Bir Hacheim line.
In an effort to smash this spear
head, being supplied through the
breach in the British defenses, the
imperial command was bringing up
fresh troops, heavy artillery, anti
tank guns and tanks.
The thunder of the battle, the
most intense in more than a year