AIR COMBATS AND RAIDS ON ENEMY

Auckland Star, Volume LXXII, Issue 281, 27 November 1941, Page 7

AIR COMBATS AND RAIDS ON ENEMY

SUPPORT FOR TROOPS Italians Claim Capture Of S. African General - . I U.P.A. and British Wireless. Rec. 1 p.m. LONDON, Nov. 26.' East communique states: '"Our bombers and fighters were again active over the whole battle front in Libya on Tuesday and gave constant support to the operations of the land forces. In the area of the land battle successful bombing attacks Avere made on enemy tanks and motor transport. In the Shefezen and Sidi Omar districts fires were started in the middle of two concentrations of enemy mechanised forces. "Aerial combats developed over Sidi Rezegh and Sidi Omar, in the course of which a CR42 and a Messerschmitt 110 were shot down. Five further Messerschmitts 110 were destroyed in an air battle which took place near Sidi Omar on Monday. Elsewhere in Libya a low-flving attack was carried out on the aerodrome at Ageoabia, where a transport aircraft was seen to crash. A number of CR42 and CA3IO machines were damaged and a large petrol tanker destroyed. Another attack was made on the road south j of Barce, where a petrol tanker burst into flames and a number of lorries and other fuel carriers were dam- | aged. j "During Monday night the harbour I of Bengasi was again bombed, fires breaking out on the central mole. Raids were also made on aerodromes at Benina and Berka. Two unidentified aircraft were destroyed on the ground. A Messerschmitt 109F was shot down in the central Mediterranean by one of our bombers on Simday."

A German communique states that counter-attacks in North Africa are bringing further successes, and positions on the Solium front are being held despite enemy attacks. The Germans claim to have frustrated fresh attempts to break out of Tobruk.

A Rome communique cla.ims that the Italians have captured General Armstrong, of the 13th South African Division, and several British and American journalists, and also to have taken 500 prisoners southwards of Sidi Rezegh. They admit that the British occupied Gialo, an oasis about 250 miles south-west of Jarabub. British Tanks Roam Desert Some British tanks are now roaming the desert looking for Axis troops, while in several places groups of German tanks are fighting like trapped lions. Some have taken the offensive. This struggle, states a correspondent, may continue for days, and possibly for weeks. It is estimated mat there are now more Italian than German tanks fit for action, says the Daily Telegraph's Cairo correspondent. The "Italian* tanks are 13-tonners and are not considered dangerous. For sheer cold heroism there can have been little in this or any other war to beat the British tank crews, who, equipped with lighter guns and thinner armour, have fought off massive German medium tanks armed with guns twice the size, says The Times' correspondent with the British armoured brigade. To ensure that the German panzers would be brought to action it was necessary to make a bold attempt to contain them within the triangle SollumSidi Omar-Tobruk. This involved the division of our armoured forces, whereas the Germans were able to concentrate against one of our brigades. After seeing the disposition of the British forces, General Rommel has been trying to knack out the British tank brigades one by one. Rommel's Tank Casualties Late on Monday afternoon Italians from the west and Germans from the north-east cut through the base of the tongue of British territory running up to Tobruk from the south, says the Daily Express correspondent. Over 100 German tanks fell on a South African formation. Germans were seen right inside the South African camp. A British armoured formation rushed to the scene and flung tanks into the first night action of the campaign. Before dawn 25 German and seven Italian tanks had • been destroyed, in addition to the tanks demolished by the South Africans. Anly a small proportion of Rommel's 280 tanks originally in this area are now mobile. Between Tobruk and Bardia th'e Germans brought on!}' half a dozen tanks ..gainst us, and they were forced back westward.

Incredible mixups were occurring all over the battlefield. British and German units frequently unknowingly camp within a mile of each other. A German radio van once lumbered through British headquarters and was captured intact. Lost vehicles and even convoys are roaming in all directions over the desert.

U.S. ENVOY TO NEAR EAST

Rec. noon. WASHINGTON, Nov. 26.

President Roosevelt announced that Mr. William Bullitt, former Ambassador to France, has been assigned as the President's special representative to the Near East. Mr. Bullitt will gather information about swift-breaking developments in the eastern Mediterranean area and discover needs and report. He will visit Libya, the Nile and the Red Sea areas, and possibly Palestine.