THE New Zealand Herald AND DAILY SOUTHERN CROSS. TUESDAY, NOVEMBER 25, 1941 PROGRESS OF THE BATTLE

New Zealand Herald, Volume 78, Issue 24131, 25 November 1941, Page 6

THE New Zealand Herald AND DAILY SOUTHERN CROSS. TUESDAY, NOVEMBER 25, 1941 PROGRESS OF THE BATTLE

Hard fighting continues in the Western Desert, but, with the Axis forces broken into fragments, the balance moves steadily to our advantage as enemy fortifications are reduced, formations taken prisoner, and tanks knocked out. Indeed, the* enemy's main effort seems now to be directed at extricating himself from the trap sprung by General Cunningham. The battle still rages fiercest at Kezcgh, near El Adem, where the enemy is struggling to prevent the trap closing by the junction of the British armoured columns with the garrison at Tobruk. On Saturday night's reports, the gap was ten miles wide ; on Sunday night's, it had been narrowed to seven miles ; and on last night's to two miles, with British artillery in position to refuse a passage to the enemy. Thus the trend has so far been all in our favour. If the British hold their positions firmly at Rezegh, the maiii enemy forces will be trapped between Tobruk in the west, the armoured columnn pressing in from the south, the New Zealand and Indian divisions advancing from the east toward Ganibut, and the sea in the north, where Admiral Cunningham keeps watch. By all accounts Rommel had stationed his main forces east of Tobruk and they are the prize on which General Cunningham's grasp is closing. Whether the British offensive has taken an even wider sweep is still undisclosed, but quite possible. It would depend on the mechanised forces available. It is possible that columns starting from Jarabub may yet emerge west of Tobruk to hedge in more Axis forces. Meanwhile the scope of the known envelopment is wide enough and, to judge by reports, the Eighth Army has been fully engaged in holding its advantage. Heavy losses of material are admitted, although much can be and is being salvaged, since the British remain masters of the field. It is the enemy who on this occasion is suffering dead losses and is faced by the spectre of incurring a total

loss east of Tobruk. So his whole position in Libya would be shaken. Serious as that would be, his loss in the field of prestige would be more grievous. The world sees Hitler's boasted panzer divisions at last brought to bay. Should the trap hold and Germany's proud armoured forces be brought to destruction or surrender, the reverberations will be felt from China to Peru, and nowhere louder than in the Middle East itself. The British have proved themselves at sea and in the air, and now are matching the Germans on land, where they thought to remain undisputed champions. For the first time the legend of the German Army's invincibility is being shaken. Goebbels may gobble and protest that a "small colonial campaign" does not provide a true test, but the German Africa Corps is no toy and, so far as armoured units went, the odds were reported as even at

the outset one week ago. Reports make it clear that the New Zealand Division is playing its part in the operations efficiently. Those at home are fortunate to be able to follow close on its motorised heels. First came the preliminary march— "completely awheel"—southwest from Mersa Matruh on the Siwa road, then the plunge west across the frontier south of the enemy's fortified line at Sidi Omar, and next the daring advance inside the line

to take the centre of the enemy's defensive position at Fort Capuzzo. Thus a way was opened through Azeiz to the main coast road, leading to the cutting of the enemy line of communications, including the water pipeline, and the consequent isolation of the enemy garrison holding out at Hellfire Pass and Solium. A detachment was sufficient to occupy evacuated Bardia, and the Division is now reported as pressing on toward Gambut, an important enemy aerodrome, panzer park and advanced supply base. So long and complicated a battle itinerary could never have been fulfilled by an "infantry" division without mechanisation, and it is clear that the staff and Reserve Motor Transport deserve the highest credit for the success of their organisation. The Division had not met stiff opposition until 'it left Capuzzo behind, but must expect more fighting in closing on Gambut, because every mile won draws closer the net in which the Axis forces are trapped.