FIGHTING FOR CAPUZZO

Press, Volume LXXVII, Issue 23494, 24 November 1941, Page 5

FIGHTING FOR CAPUZZO

Great Pitched Battle AIRCRAFT AGAINST TANKS (Received November 24, 1.30 a.m.) LONDON, November 23. The battle in which New Zealand troops captured Fort Capuzzo is described by Mr Edward Kennedy, a correspondent of the Associated Press of America, as one of the greatest pitched battles between aeroplanes and tanks ever fought. While the New Zealanders drove Axis forces from the bomb shattered ruins of Fort Capuzzo, hundreds of Royal Air Force fighters swept over enemy tanks further west, destroying and crippling them with cannon and machine-gun lire. The Germans sent up a heavy barrage of light anti-aircraft fire, and Axis aircraft were more active than usual. The same correspondent reports that the British forces from Tobruk have taken hundreds of , prisoners, but they were delayed in their advance by two minefields about a mile deep. The defenders of Tobruk, who were last reported seven miles from the main British forces, are steadily fighting to join up with them. The latest reports reveal that the encircled Germans are trying to break through to the west with the result that tank battles are raging in areas each about 40 miles square. The Germans have apparently about six formations varying in size. The first of these is in the Halfaya Pass and Sidi Omar areas. British movements to encircle these continued satisfactorily throughout yesterday. Another German force is in the GambutBardia area.,where the battle is apparently continuing with heavier losses to the Germans. The third force is in the Fort Cap-uzzo-Gadr Saleh-Rezegh triangle. General Cunningham has defeated repeated attempts by these to break westward. The casualties on neither side have yet been assessed. The fourth German force is a tank concentration west of General Cunningham’s iron ring. The fifth is west of Rezegh, and the sixth is apparently opposing attempts by the Tobruk forces to join up with the main British forces. In addition to the hammering which the German forces are receiving from the British land forces, whose objective is tanks, not towns, British Hurricane fighter-bombers and various other aircraft are constantly harrying and

smashing at the German mechanised strength, while the Navy continues to shell enemy positions. The Cairo correspondent of the Associated Press of America says it is learned that the British forces on Saturday paid a higher price than on the previous days in men and material but won all of the numerous tank engagements.' The British dominate the battlefields, and are thus able to recover their damaged tanks, but it is understood that the great tank battle may continue for two or; three day*.