GUNS ROARING AND DOGFIGHTS IN THE AIR

Auckland Star, Volume LXXII, Issue 279, 25 November 1941, Page 7

GUNS ROARING AND DOGFIGHTS IN THE AIR

ENEMY HEMMED 111

Tobruk Garrison Advancing To Link Up Rec. 1 p.m. LONDON, Nov. 24. With guns roaring and planes skirmishing in dogfights over the battle area, the fighting was resumed when German tanks, which had assembled in Libya on Saturday night in the neighbourhood of El Adem, on the newly built Tobruk road, led a fierce and powerful attack in an attempt to recapture Sidi Rezegh. A British armoured brigade and a support group, including a famous line regiment, held their ground in a fight that lasted for an hour around a few shacks and the tombs of sheiks.

The Tobruk garrison has made a further advance and reached a point two miles from the armoured division that is cutting off the retreat westwards of the German panzer divisions, now considerably reduced in strength. At the same time British armoured forces, supported by South Africans, are gaining positions to cut off any attempt to move eastwards by the Germans, and are thus slowly completing the encircling movement that will ultimately lead to a conclusive battle. Artillery is in position to cover the sap that still exists. The German forces were still holding their positions at Solium and on the frontier on Sunday morning.

The Nazi heavy lanxs are being greatly hampered by mud and inundations, especially to the west of Tobruk, where immense areas are under water. High winds and occasional dust storms have failed to prevent the R.A.F. from playing its part in the invasion by repeated attacks on the enemy's communications and by the destruction of planes on the ground in daring lowdiving assaults. Not a single opportunity of bringing Axis planes to battle has been lost. Despite formidable air reinforcements, the Luftwaffe has been unable to give real

their motorised forces, owing to the constant watch on their move™f" ts maintained by Tomahawk fighters and other R.A.F. machines. llots on reconn aissance sorties report that many machines are to be seen on enemy aerodromes—an indication that Hitler is doing what he can to send air support to his tanks.

The fighting m Llt>ya Is hard and confused, ana no estimate of its course is possible at present, according^o an expert commentator. The first phase of General Sir Claude Auchinleck s attack is over. It consisted of getting the British armoured formations forward and the start of the shouldering movement against the Axis frontier defences.

The second phase is now going on and has resolved itself into a fight against troops desperately struggling under an able commander. The Axis position and supply situation are not at all good, and no doubt British air superiority has been maintained throughout, but either undue optimism or pessimism would be misplaced when it is impossible to estimate how the second phase will develop. Generally, it is felt, however, that the admirable planning of the first phase, which led to a complete British success, is a good omen for satisfactory progress in the second.

A Rome communique says several British units were badly mauled or completely destroyed westward of Solium, as was the case with the fourth armoured brigade, the commander of which, General Sperling, was taken prisoner.

The communique admits that a British motorised column penetrated the Cyrenaican desert and attacked and overpowered an advanced Italian garrison northwards of the Gialo oasis.

A military spokesman in Berlin denied that Bardia had been captured. The German communique claims that German and Italian counter-attacks in North Africa have proceeded successfully in the battle of Tobruk, and strong British attacks on the Bardia and Solium front were still in progress.

Speaking on the sixth day of the British offensive, a high British officer said on Sunday "the decisive moment has not yet come," according to a special correspondent with the British advance forces. The Indian troops, in capturing Sidi Omar, took at least 8000 prisoners, the majority being Italians. A fierce German attempt to recapture Sidi Rezegh, 10 miles from Tobruk, was beaten off on Sunday morning. Advance forces of the Tobruk garrison are within two miles of the invading armoured forces. These are the outstanding events of Sunday.