Evening star., 1943-02-11
lie CIerc'5 Frenchmen
Collect Weapons on
3,000-Mi|e Push
Strengthened by Is
Italian Tanks, Number
Of Guns as Bottle Prizes
BY RICHARD MOWRER,

Chicago Daily News.
CAIRO, Jan. 20 (Delayed Glad
in baggy pantaloons, faded blue
tunics and sandals strapped to their
bare feet, some of Brig Gen. Jac-
ques LeClerc's bushy-h haired French
men are sightseeing in Tripoli, fol-
lowing their remarkable 3,O0O-mile
trek from Central Africa to the
Mediterranean.
Made up of French soldiers, black
Senegalese and the turbaned native
Meharists of camel corps. Gen. Le-
Clerc'S Fighting French columns left
Langeau, 279 miles north of Fort
Lamy in the Chad territory Novem-
Der 49, All their supplies and equip
ment had been brought up from the
port Of Douala in the Cameroons
The French brought with them
across the desert everything they
needed but, when they arrived near
/ TripoH, they had acquired Is Italian
Nib tanks, armed and in good
working condition. as we'll as some
Italian guns. Remarkable also is
the fact that they did not lose a
single truck. although they were
strafed by Italian planes, had me-
chanical breakdoWns and some
stretches were such hard going that
at once time it took them four days
to cover 40 miles
Support of Air Force"
The Fighting French had no tanks
until they got those of the Italians
They had few 75-mm guns. Their
trucks bristied with machine guns.
They had one solitary Bofors anti
aircraft gun. But they had the sup
port Of the Fighting French air
force. consisting of three old Blen-
helm light bombers four Marylands
and six Hedge-hopping Lysanders,
normally used only as air taxis.
They had also Douglas transports
and Lockheeds for supplies.
On December % Gen. LIE Clercs
force, 1000 strong, crossed the from
tier into Italian territory at Uegh-
El-Kebir. Here they had their
first encounter with the Italians,
but it did not amount to much. The
men OF the Italian frontier post left
SO hurriedly that their meal was
still cooking when the French ar
rived. The French moved in and
ate the Italians meal.
On December 26 they reached
Gatroun. During those three days
between the frontier and Gatroun
the French were bombed and ma
flo RI loS1
planes. One French column of 10
trucks was bombed and strafed for
an hour and a quarter in the open
Desert by eight Italian fighters and
two bOmbers, but the French man
aged TO get one fighter down and
mlraculously lost no trucks.
Begin to Move at Night.
After that they decided to move
only at night and lay over in the
! daytime. This made it impossible
TO cook their food, but on the other
hand they did not suffer so much
| from air attacks At Gatroun. the
/ French found strong Italian force
well dug IN. Gen. lie Clerc left one
/ battalion Of infantry and a COM
/ pany of camel corps 10 besiege the
/ Italians and the rest of his force
/ pushed on.
On New Year Day the French
| reached Gum Erener Rabbits
! Weln. Here the Italians were in
| force and well entrenched. so Gen.
LIE Clerc sent back for the infantry
/ battalion at Gatroun. The COM
/ pany OF Camel Corps that remained
/ at Gatroun thereupon began a big
/ game Of bluff, bashing around DO
/ ing lot of shooting and making a
big display of strength. The result
Wa that when two emissaries of