Evening star., 1942-06-07
British Step Up Drive
In Libya, Seeking 10
Erase Suez Threat
Armored Superiority Over
Axis Is CIuimed in
12-Doy Fighting
BY the Associated Press.


CAIRO, Egypt, June 6-The
British Eighth Army has wrested
armored superiority from the
Germans in the Libyan desert
and with their sky-ruling air
force is hammering ceaselessly
at the foe in a supreme effort to
erase the threat to Suez.
Already $40 German and Italian
tanks had been destroyed and cap
tured, and the veterans OF Gen. Sir
Claude Auchinleck appeared deter
mined to shatter as many Of the
residue as possible before Marshal
Erwin Rommel's battered army
could escape through a gap in the
British mine fields between Ain Ell
Gazala and Bir Hacheim.
The British, catching their second
wind in the furious 12-day battle in
the furnace-like heat of the swirling
sands, have opened new drive in
the triangular trap west of Knights
bridge, the crosstrah Is miles south
west of Tobruk. Indeed, a military
commentator said the British were
battering at the Axis forces from
three sides in a mighty stroke of
attrition which had placed Marshal
Rommel on the defensive.
lamar Reported Taken.
lamar, miles west of Knights
bridge, was said to have fallen to
the driving British, who firmly held
the initiative.
To the north in the region of Ain
el GaZala, South African troops
captured some Axis prisoners in an
attack on strong points. At the
southern extremity, the Free French
forces defending the odorous water
hole of Bir Hacheim had a quiet
day after repulsing a second deter
mined italian attack.
The famed British 25-pounders,
with which United States troops in
Northern Ireland have been prac-
ticing for weeks, hurled tons of
shells into Axis troop and materiel
concentrations throughout the day
and night with deadly effect. The
artillery was so accurate it appeared
to have thwarted Marshal Rommel's
attempt to organize a counter
attack.
Nazi Charge Denied.
Gen. Auchinleck's headquarters
issued a special communique deny
ing a German allegation that Axis
prisoners had been denied food and
water until they were questioned.
The Germans were asked TO furnish
necessary proof" and the British
affirmed that they were treating
captives in strict accord with the
Geneva convention.
CThe Germans announced at
Berlin late yesterday that they
had rescinded the retaliation
measures" ordered against Brit
ish prisoners in Africa. Earlier
German broadcasts interpreted
British statement that no such
order of refusing food to Axis
prisoners had been authorized
as cancellation of the alleged
order)
Axis Planes Damaged.
The Raj, with a 5-to-3 superb
ority, inflicted severe damage to
Axis planes and ground forces "in
cooperation with our land forces, "
the British communique said.
Bombers raided Syracuse in Ital-
ian Sicily, and airdromes in Mar
tuba and Derna, the RAF added.
Military experts said the Germans
were suffering from the loss of two
major repair units which the British
captured early in the week. With
the British controlling the battle
field, their own repair forces were
said to be operating efficiently, put
ting damaged tanks and armed
vehicles quickly back into combat.
United States service troops are
supporting the British Army.