Evening star., 1942-01-09
R. 4. F. Bahers Ships
Attempting 10 Take
Supplies 10 Rommel
Direct Hits Are Scored
! On Coostwise Vessels,
British Report
By the Associated Press.

By the Associated Press.
s CAIRO, Egypt. Jan. e.-With Its
land supply routes under almost
incessant assault from the air, the
Axis has attempted by sea to pro-
vision the retreating Libyan corps
Of Gen. Edwin Rommel, the British
announced today, but the coastwise
ships drew a storm of direct hits
from the r. AT.
"Our air forces operating in sup
port of our mobile columns over a
wide area, had a particularly sue
cessful day, destroying a number OF
enemy aircraft in aerial combat"
general headquarters conmunlQue
said
Enemy lines of communication
west of El Agheila also were re-
peatedly attacked. A number of
direct hits were obtained on trans
port vehicles and also on coastal
shipping which was being used to
bring stores forward from Tripoli
to beaches at various points on the
Gulf of Sirte."
May Try to Make Stand.
The supply effort of the Axis in
dicated that Gen. Rommel, falling
back onto FL Agheila, at the inner
most curve Of the Gulf Of Sirte,
might try to make a stand there if
supplies could be assured.
The r. A. F. itself reported at
tacks with good effect" on motor
transport and shipping near Buerat
Ell Hsun, about 220 miles west of
Ell Agheila on the shore of the Gulf
Of Sirte, saying that one ship was
set aflame.
Gen. Rommels main force was
moving from the Agedabia area to-
ward Ell Agheila, 10 miles to the
southwest, ahead of stubbornly re-
sisting rearguard which used extern
tive mine fields to supplement the
hazard OF mud in hampering the
pursuit Of the British imperials.
Australian pilots flying United
States-built (Curtiss) Kittyhawk
fighters shot down seven out of
formation Of more than so Axis
planes yesterday over the Agedabia
area, the R. A. F. reported IN its
own communique.
Axis May Avoid Destruction.
The Rommel retreat aroused Brit
ish fears that the Axis might foil
or at least postpone-achievement
of Britains main objective Of an
nihiliating the enemy armored
forces in Northern Africa.
Gen. Rommel was favored in his
retreat from Agedabia, where his
forces have fought the British for
days after being beaten back 300
miles from the Egyptian-Libyan
border, by combination of mud and
q swirling sandstorm which i'm
peded the British columns.
(The effect Of the reverses in
Iibya is being felt in Italy, it Was
indicated in report in an anti
Nazi London newspaper, =. Die
Zeitung. It said Premier Musso-
lini was recalling troops from
Balkan occupied zones because
annihiliation in Libya would leave
Italy "face to face with the dan
ger of direct attack"
Die Zeitung further said Hitler
had been told Italy's military sit
uation Is greatly menaced" and
that the Nazis must find new
forces to police the Balkans. 1t
added that Germany could not
send sufficient troops there from
the Russian front and that Hun
gary would be given the job in
exchange for promises of political
compensationsD
Failed to Knock Out Malta.
Some observers expressed belief
that whatever hopes Gen. Rommel
might have held for determined
stand at Agedabia were dashed by
failure of the German and Italian
campaign to knock out British air
and sea facilities on the fortified
island of Malta, in the Mediter-
ranean.
Malta's planes are still raiding
Tripoli, Axis debarkation port, the
r. A. F. Near East command an
nounced yesterday.