GERMANS AGAIN THROWN BACK

Gisborne Herald, Volume LXVIII, Issue 20628, 2 December 1941, Page 5

GERMANS AGAIN THROWN BACK

THREE MAIN AREAS OF FIGHT AIR FORCE SUPPORT TO LAND UNITS SEVERE TOLL TAKEN OF AXIS PLANES (Elec. To). Copyright—United Press Assn.) (Reed. Dec. 2, 11.40 a.m.) LONDON, Doc. 1. Authoritative news reaching London states that although the enemy penetrated the British defences about Sidi Rezogh, as reported in a Cairo communique, they have since been thrown back by a counter-attack and the British positions re-established. * German infantry were stated to have been brought up from the east in lorries and slipped through the gap three days ago to join the 15th armoured division in the present attack. A Cairo headquarters communique states: “The Battle of Cyrcnaica lias now definitely resolved itself into three main areas: Firstly, the main front south-east of Tobruk in which our forces, advancing from the east, joined up vvith the British forces which made a successful sally from the fortress; secondly, the frontier area stretching from Halfaya to the positions north of Sidi 'Omar; thirdly, the area south-west of Jalo. ' i

“On the main front El Duda-Sicli Rezegh-Bir el Hamed, intensive fighting continued throughout yesterday. During the morning an enemy tank attack from the west was repulsed by our armoured forces due south of Sidi Rezegh. Later our armoured forces turned on an Italian division to the east and destroyed about half the remaining tanks of this formation, which then fled northward pursued by a British mobile column. In the afternoon German infantry with tank support, again attacked our positions about Sidi Rezegh, where they were successful in making a penetration into our defences.

Line Re-Established “The line was later reported to be re-established. Bitter fighting continues in this area.

“In the frontier zone our troops are now concentrating upon the elimination of pockets of resistance in the face of determined opposition from the German defenders. “Throughout ,the day our air forces closely supported our ground forces, by. heavy and persistent attacks on enemy troops and concentrations of vehicles in the area between El Adem and El Duda. Observed results of our bombing and low-flying attacks were highly satisfactory. In the southern and western areas our mechanised columns are continuing their operations.”

Further information about the repulse of Axis tanks in Cyrenaiea on Saturday is given authoritatively in London. It is explained that the enemy attacked the Imperial forces about Sidi Rezegh from three directions, an Italian tank division from the south, the 21st German armoured division from the north-east and the 15th German armoured division from the south-west. The last named took El Duda, near Sidi Rezegh, on Saturday evening, but was expelled during the night. Finally all three attacks were repulsed and the corridor joining the Imperial forces round Sidi Rezegh with those round Tobruk was maintained intact. It is stated in Cairo that since dawn on November 18 when the Libyan offensive began, till midnight on November 30, 176 enemy aircraft were destroyed, of which 92 were in aerial combat and 84 on the ground.