COUNTER BIDS BY AXIS FAIL

Gisborne Herald, Volume LXVIII, Issue 20627, 1 December 1941, Page 5

COUNTER BIDS BY AXIS FAIL

AREA OF OPERATION MORE RESTRICTED NEW ZEALANDERS PRESS WESTERN DRIVE

(Elec. Tel. Copyright—United Press Assn.) . (Reed. Dee. 1, 9 a.m.) LONDON, Nov. 30

Brisk hand-to-hand -fighting resulted in the corridor to Tobruk being widened to six miles at the narrowest point, said the correspondent of the Associated Press of (Treat Britain w ith the Bth Army. South African infantry supported by British tanks had begun a flanking movement eastwards of the main German armoured division which is now between Sidi Rezegh and .Gasr el Aryid, 2(1 miles eastwards of Sidi Rezegh. The Axis forces east of Tobruk appear to be confined between tlie coast and a line roughly from Tobruk, to Sidi Kezegh, Gam but and Bardia. Their scope of manoeuvre is thus considerably reduced, but there are no signs that their pugnacity is flagging. They are doing their utmost to prevent the-consolidation of the British bridge between Tobruk and Sidi Rezegh.

A German column comprising.4o to 50 tanks and between 1000 and 2000 lorries full of troops came from the Capuzzo area to attack the New Zealanders’ rear. The Royal Air Force bombed and machine-gunned them every mile of their advance until British armoured units had time to come up to engage them. Their withdrawal not only removed a threat to the rear of our forces in the Sidi Rezegh area, but forced the Germans into a more restricted area of operations and enabled the British south-east of Tobruk to concentrate their attacks. These British forces are at the same time pushing westward against strong Axis forces. Continuing Drive Westward The linked-up British and New Zealanders have been advancing westward continually for eight hours despite strong Axis opposition. Behind them strong Imperial forces arc attacking the remnants of General Rommel’s armoured units eastward of Sidi Rezegh. The gap between the main Axis strength and their armies westward of Tobruk is steadily widening. The military spokesman in Cairo said the Germans have massed guns with the object of opposing a further widening of the Tobruk corridor.

It is now known that TOO Italians were captured at Gialo, where the British casualties were 20. The Indians are continuing mopping up in the frontier area. An Ankara report states that the Germans are embarking troops, mostly Austrians, at Salonika, Brindisi and Naples as reinforcements for Libya.