Evening star., 1942-05-30
Successes Scored
Against German
Transport Units
By the Associated Press.

CAIRO, Egypt, May 30.-Brit-
ish armored and motorized forces
heavily counterattacked a steel
spearhead of Field Marshal Err
win RommelS command about 20
miles southwest of Tobruk yes
terday and many Axis tanks
have been destroyed in fierce
fighting, imperial general head
quarters said today.
More hard fighting must be ex-
pected," a communique reported.
The British counterattacked "in
the neighborhood of Knightsbridge
and west of Acroma," it was an
nounced, referring to an area lying
between the Tobruk defenses and
the -mile-long Ain El Gazala- -Bir
Ell Hacheim line to the west, which
Marshal Rommel chose to outfank
rather than challenge directly in his
drive launched Tuesday.
r. A. F. Batters Tanks.
R. A. F. bombers, f1anked by
United States Kittyhawk and Toma-
hawk fighters, kept up their inten-
sive battering of the Axis tank
forces and a communique announced
that many of Marshal Rommel's
armored vehicles had been smashed
or left stranded in the desert.
Over the broad battle area British
flyers fought with German and
Italian pilots for control of the air.
The R. A. F. reported seven Axis
aircraft destroyed yesterday and
acknowledged the loss Of II of its
own planes, but this loss included
widespread operations extending to
Sicily as we'll as over the desert.
Fight at Heart of Triangle.
Essentially, the major fighting ap-
parently was at the heart of tri-
angle formed by three British strong
points, the Mediterranean ports of
Ain El Gazala and Tobruk and the
desert oasis settlement of Bir
Hacheim. The British said it was
least of our main positions"
Further south, our tank unit, in
close formation with the R. A. F.,
scored successes against enemy
transport columns moving north
wards (around Rir Hacheim) to join
the enemy armored forces.
Our mobile columns operating
north and northwest of Bir Hacheim
attacked enemy lines of supply and
troops endeavoring to protect these"
Axis tanks shelled a coastal road
northeast of Acroma from a nearby
escarpment and "the enemy made
an abortive attack along the coast
road against our extreme northern
flank" it was disclosed
1T is known that many tanks
have already been destroyed" the
communique reported. adding that
it was not possible yet to assess
casualties in the widespread opera
tions
British air forces were said to
have continued their successful at
tacks on enemy columns and the
interception Of enemy aircraft.
No Indication of Outcome.
With units of tank forces operat-
ing like fleets of warships on the
vast. open land ocean OF the desert
south OF Tobruk, there still was no
clear indication of the outcome.
Tobruk itself, which has come to
be recognized as Marshal Rommel's
chief immediate aim, apparently
was still safe as British barrier
to an Axis thrust into Egypt and
the trend of the battle was giving
the British new optimism.
Although they made clear that
the far-ranging operations, surglng
back and forth over hundreds OF
square miles of desert, held peril to
both sides and that anything could
happen, these sources declared the
situation so far was satisfactory to
the British command.
The RATS apparent ability to
retain mastery of the air over Libya
in the face of the Axis drive also en-
couraged the British. The flyers
have been operating in close CO.
operation with British tank units
slashing at Marshal Rommels sup
ply lines.