The Dominion WEDNESDAY, DECEMBER 3, 1941. INSPIRING NEWS FROM LIBYA

Dominion, Volume 35, Issue 59, 3 December 1941, Page 6

The Dominion WEDNESDAY, DECEMBER 3, 1941. INSPIRING NEWS FROM LIBYA

In spite of the desperate resistance being offered by the enemy in north-eastern Libya, the Imperial Bth Army appears to be steadily improving its position. The main battlefront is still in the aiea sout east of Tobruk, where heavy fighting took place last week, but it has become plain that the task of the British tank forces andtheA w Zealand Division at this- point is to widen a barrier which prevents the escape to the westward of large Axis forces trapped . ea. of Tobruk between the escarpment and the sea. In view of the natur of their task, the fact that our troops have advanced no further tor the time being is not in the least discouraging. On the contrary, then continued presence at a key spot, in defiance of frantic attempts. by Rommel’s'ltalo-German formations on the seaward side to b e out—and similar endeavours by the enemy on the w “tern side to create a relieving gap—is an assurance that the Imperial troops ar h ° ldl The th Cyrenaica battle area is roughly 75 miles square, and the "stop-gap” front is in the north-western corner of that square. On the aLrn side of it, extending to the north-eastern corner thereremains another pocket-or series of pockets-nf enemy res .stance. fiom a point north of Sidi Omar (five miles or so on the Libyan side ot the frontier) to Halfaya, or “Hellfire Pass,” on the escarpment at the edge of Solium Bay It has been e TP h . asi^ ed No -in particular that at Halfaya-are strongly held by Ge mans No doubt? however, the British Command has postponed .making a dete mined move to dislodge the defenders because of the need to con centrate on the forward positions. The Sidi Omar-Halfaya pocket is surrounded, and its supplies cut off, by our occupation of Bardia and the coastal region across the border. This being sothe: enemy there may be dealt with more or less at leisure. The device o bottling-up an enemy force, and then pushing on and leaving the isolated position to be taken later, is part of the new science: of asL moving, mechanized warfare. The Germans demonstr J e f Poland and France. General Cunningham has shown that two c Play Thc S SaX>»aimn g theatre of hard filing “the Cyrenaiea square is stated in this morning s cable messages to be: the: SO> western area. Here the situation is apparently in the nature_of a gradually widening advance, involving a series of desert f e ™" t ® between armoured columns, and a systematic h “g £ by our air formations. Here, as well as in the Tobruk region t fighting is clearly of a gruelling character, not only becausei of enemy opposition, but by reason of the trying climatic “nditions It is therefore a matter for continuing and increasing prid 1 th at New Zealand Division is sharing prominently and successfully in the operations The Division’s thrust to Tobruk is described this morn- ?„ P g by a" Australian correspondent as "one of the ep.cs of the camnaira and a glorious page in New Zealand s history. This is an exceptional tribute. Indeed, the New Zealand public. has seldom h ever had more truly inspiring news.. They will be strange citi e indeed who do not feel in this inspiration a challenge to be: woilthy of men who are fighting their country s battles in such a manner.