Malta Takes It

For six weeks Axis planes have kept up a concentrated bombing effort on Malta that has no parallel in this war. Operating 24 hours a day, Axis high-level and dive-bombers have raided the island over 150 times since Jan. 1. As many as 17 alarms have occurred in 24 hours.

Still undecided about the final explanation for the concentrated attacks, London hinted at invasion last week. But with General Erwin Rommel hanging on in Libya by the skin of his gritty teeth, the bombings probably covered a concerted German effort to get reinforcements to his Afrika Korps and put him back on the offensive. By bombing Malta, the Axis had probably rendered ineffective any R.A.F. bombing operations from the island. As a result, Axis shipping has an even chance of getting to Tripoli and Tunis unbombed, either at base or in transit.

However the bombings helped shipping to Africa, it was too late to help one big chunk of Rommel's Army. Last week, 5,500 Axis troops in the narrow canyon of Halfaya Pass, isolated in a bomb-torn pocket on the eastern edge of the desert battlefield, gave up. Dusty, thirsty, hungry and 2,200 miles from their main body, they ran up the white flag, surrendered unconditionally to Major General Pierre de Viller's South African and Free French forces.

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