REPAIRS TO TANKS

Auckland Star, Volume LXXII, Issue 287, 4 December 1941, Page 7

REPAIRS TO TANKS

Nazis Use Huge Transporters For Salvage Work DESPERATE SUPPLY EFFORT Britisih Ofncial Wireless. Rec. 1.30 p.m. RUGBY, Dec. 3. Authoritative quarters in London are of the opinion that after the fierce fighting which has been going on for the last few days in the Sidi Rezegh area in Libya opportunity is being taken on both sides for a chance to refit. It must be remembered that the Germans are very clever at repairing damaged tanks, and have huge tank transporters fitted with winches with which to load tanks and carry them away behind their lines for repairs. Meanwhile, operations to clean up the frontier area continue. It is pointed out that it is important at this stage to emphasise the fact that the defences of Solium, which are very strong, would have taken a great amount of hard fighting to overwhelm if the enemy had had tanks to support these defences. Therefore the importance of keeping his tanks away from that area cannot be over-emphasised.

If these mechanised forces can be kept away from Bardia and Sidi Omar the isolated Axis forces are in grave danger because of the Impossibility of getting supplies to them. The fact that the enemy is making a desperate effort to transport such supplies by sea, as recorded in the iatest communique, is an indication of his problem.

An earlier message said that two battalions of Punjabis, aided by three tanks, and also by accurate bombardment from divisional artillery, captured Libyan Omar—one of the three places named Omar in this part of the country—which the Germans and Italians had stubbornly held for eight days.

One battalion first attacked and gained a foothold, but was unable to clear out the enemy, who were strongly entrenched and defended by machine-guns, mortars and anti-tank guns.

The second battalion later attacked from the rear of the enemy's fortified lines and cleared post after post. At last the enemy gave in.