Evening star., 1942-04-08
Marshall in London for War Talk;
Axis Steps Up Drive in Near East;
u. S. Forces Fall Back in Bataan
Foe Advances in
Libyo; Alexandra
And Malta Ruided
BY the Associated Press.

BY the Associated Press.
Axis forces numbering 125,00O
deSert-WiSe troops were reported
in motion across the Libyan
desert today against British lines
in what may be the opening of a
spring drive to conquer Egypt
and smash through east of Suez
toward Russia's southern flank.
The action-not yet told in de-
tail-came as the German air force
lashed with rising fury at Malta and
Alexandria with fire and explosive
The tiny island fortress and
Egypt's chief port and base of the
British Mediterranean f1eet-keys to
Britain's dominance of the Mediter-
ranean-each reported the worst
raids of the war yesterday as Axis
bombers set the stage for the first
great land campaign Of 1912.
Air Support for Axis Drive.
At present German Field Marshal
Edwin Rommel commands two Ger
man armored divisions, one Italian
armored division and six infantry
divisions in the desert. BY contrast
the British have been weakened by
the dispatch of Australian veterans
from North Africa to fight under
Gen. Douglas Macarthur in defense
of their homeland.
Thirty squadrons of all types of
aircraft are believed by informed
quarters in London to provide air
support for the Axis offensive.
While the. Axis claimed initial
gains in the Libyan theater 100
miles southwest of Tobruk. the
British command at Cairo said only
that "our fighting patrols again were
active in the Libyan desert yester-
day"
But military informant in Lon
don added cautiously: There is
some increased activity in Libya
which We may hear more about.
Columns in Vanguard.
The vanguard of the Axis army
in the desert is three columns paced
by about 100 tanks, British inform
ants said.
This is the first hint of large
scale action since the Germans re-
captured Bengasi late in January
and forced the British back more
than 200 miles to a line subsequently
stabilized along a front running
from Ell Gazala, on the coast 40
miles west of Tobruk, to Bir Hach-
lem, some so miles inland.
r. A. F. headquarters at Cairo an
nounced that British bombers and
fighters blasted Axis concentrations
deep behind the front yesterday in
Cirenaica
The Italians said 10 Arabs were
killed or wounded in a British air
attack on Bengasi and one British
plane was shot down in an attack
on Derna. German fighters were
said to have downed another British
plane near Crete.
If the desert action is the begin
ming of grand Avis offensive, it
is expected here that Axis invasion
troops assembled in Crete, Greece
and the Dodecanese Islands may be
used for flank attacks on Alexandria
and Cairo by sea and air.
50 Killed in Alexandria Raid.
Axis planes, which yesterday
killed 50 and wounded 80 in Alex
andria, struck again at the Med
iterranean naval base, but the
Egyptian government said the at
tack was light, with only a few
bombs dropped, no casualties and
only insignificant damage.
The raiders struck by moonlight
and picked out their targets method
ically by dropping flares, then
dive-bombing. r. A. F. defenders
downed two of the raiders.
AS the Egyptian government act
ed quickly to care for the victims
of the earlier bombing, Premier
Mustapha Nahas Pasha broadcast
to Alexandrians that this is a
uoy Vi HdtlOIidl lIlOuIIllIlS lOI Gllc
whole country.
The Egyptian Public Works Min
lister visited the wounded at hos
pital, giving each 2 Egyptian
pounds (about So, and an estima-
ton committee received orders to
estimate property losses quickly so
the Government could pay in full
from credits of enemy property
seized in Egypt.
The italian high command re-
ported today in Rome that heavy
cssiber bombs. dropped on Alex
andria yesterday caused extensive
damage on military and industrial
objectives.
Destroyer Declared Damaged.
The Fascist command also de-
clared that German air formations
which bombed workshops and de-
pots on Malta yesterday had Silenced
several anti-aircraft positions and
damaged one destroyer.
Preliminary reports indicated the
casualties we're mot heavy consider
ing the scale of the bombing a
Malta official said.