pondent With a Bfobile Patrol In the Western Desert, May' 14.
In Monday's thrust, the enemy appeared to be using about 200 vehicles, operating: in independent "columns without supply lines. 'These lines' could be established later, if the Germans found they had penetrated far enough to make them necessary.
Starting at sunrise the enemy flung out five columns towards Egypt. All the columns were engaged and a bat-raged from the sea, between Sol-Jum and Bugbug, 50 miles' into the desert.
The Arst German colume, pushing along a coastal road leading to Side barrani, encountered British advanced offensive positions. Another column, which came down from an escarpment, curved southwards from the second and encountered advance Brit. ish parties along the coastal plain. 'The third. and fourth columns crossed the Egyptian frontier west of Sol-lum and the fifth' tried to sweep, ground to the south of the British forces. The battle on the escarpment top was one of immense mobility, since in the rolling desert wast columns can pass unnoticed within few miles of each other.—Reuter,
Text read from the printed page and cleaned; old type leaves the occasional error.