Ceaseless Desert Battle

Evening Post, Volume CXXXII, Issue 126, 24 November 1941, Page 7

Ceaseless Desert Battle

SIEGE OF TOBRUK LIFTED

Powerful Aid By R.A.F. And Navy

LONDON, November 23.

The main news from the Western Desert is that Bardia has fallen, and that severe fighting is taking place near Tobruk. Enemy road transport and communications have been ceaselessly bombed from the air.

Tonight's Cairo communique and other messages from the Libyan battlefield show that five days after the start of General Cunningham's great offensive the most important fighting is taking place south-east of Tobruk. The enemy forces between Tobruk and the Egyptian frontier have been split up into four or hve groups. New Zealand troops have captured Capuzzo and pushed on to Bardia and occupied it, cutting the water pipe-line supplying the enemy forces isolated m the Half aya-SoUum area. . * ■ . Indian troops are expanding their penetration behind Halfaya and Sidi Omar. British forces from Tobruk are continuing their advance.

The Imperial Air Force and the Royal Nav^y are giving powerful and successful co-operation.

The Cairo land communique says that the centre of gravity of the main tank battle between the British and German armoured forces now appears to be about Sidi Rezegh. Throughout the night the battle continued without cessation, and it is continuing this morning. Meanwhile, New Zealand forces, in the face of exceptional climatic difficulties, continued yesterday their advance from initial positions west of Sidi Omar. By yesterday evening they had reached positions south of Gambut, leaving a detachment to occupy Bardia, which was reported clear of the enemy.

While these operations were proceeding, Indian troops captured Sidi Omar and another point. They are gradually extending the area of their penetration in the rear of the defensive positions held by" the enemy between Halfaya and Sidi Omar.

Continuing their advance against opposition, the British forces from Tobruk have again captured many hundreds of prisoners, of which 50 per cent, are German. Continuous air support was given to the British and Imperial forces throughout the day. Low-flying bombers and fighters maintained their attacks on enemy tanks, armoured fighting vehicles, and motor transport, and much damage was inflicted.

A. dispatch received from Cairo concerning today's developments says that military spokesmen in Cairo said that if the number of tanks destroyed and the prisoners captured could not be given in detail it was because, while the battle raged at full blast in the Western Dissert, it was difficult to obtain and collate the necessary information.

Reports from the. front frequently read "as follows: ''Action started. Sorry ian't giV6. you full details. Too busy." frequently two or more reports are received from the same battlefield Sealing with tank losses, but until they ire collated officials do not'know whether they are the same? losses or not., What they do-know is. that the snemy losses are very severe. '

The recent fighting ..-has::,been most severe in the region, south of Tobruk. In the Bardia area the operations are mostly of a mopping-up variety. -.<■., ......... ,

Whether the great tank battle which now appears to have reached its culminating point will finish today or continue for two or three days longer is a matter of speculation. Cairo authorities do not know what line the enemy intends to take. Theoretically, the enemy could break away to comparative safety, but it would not be easy. He would have, to fight it out, and maybe—and this, again, is pure speculation—the rea-

son why he is fighting so hard is that he wants to get away, but cannot.

The same military authorities say that the Hun is a tough bird, and will nbt give anything for nothing. Halfaya and Solium, now occupied by the Germans, are isolated. They got most of their water from Bardia, and the British have cut the pipe-line. It looks as if their position is hopeless.

Asked about the enemy's petrol supplies, military authorities said that the main dumps are at Gambut and Gazzala. Gazzala has been well plastered by the R.A.F., and Gambut is uncomfortably near where the New Zealanders have got to. The enemy might get support by sea from Derna, but, quite apart from the difficulties of getting it there, the road from Derna is receiving attention from the R.A.F., and the matter of transport is anything but pleasant.

Asked about the Italians, military authorities said: "They aire doing very well indeed." The siege of Tobruk, they declared, has been lifted, since it cannot be said that a town is bosieged when the besieged inside-., have sallied out and attacked as the defenders of Tobruk have done.

Yesterday's atmosphere of confidence prevails today. "We are up against a tough —a very tough—proposition," it was remarked, "but the R.A.F.'s superiority remains unchallenged, and man for man and tank for tank we feel that things arc going very well."

CONCENTRATED HELL

(Rec. 12.40 p.m.) LONDON, Nov. 23

SCENES FROM THE AIR

FIRE-BREATHING MONSTERS IN ACTION

The tank battle around Sidi Rezegh, seen from the air, looks like a huge prehistoric arena with fire-breathing scaly-hided monsters pitted against each other in a terrific struggle, said a British fighter pilot in Cairo.

"These monsters lumber slowly forward and swing this way and that way, each intent on the other's destruction," he added. "The battle seems to be raging for miles.

"The enemy used to pop off at us when we attacked, but since Friday their hands have been full in trying to stand up against the British tank attacks. Guns blaze away on all sides. We hear the crackle of firing above the roar of our engines, and the gun-flashes outdo any "fireworks display I have ever seen. It looked like a concentrated hell of shell against shell and steel against steel."