TANK CLASHES

New Zealand Herald, Volume 78, Issue 24131, 25 November 1941, Page 7

TANK CLASHES

GRAPHIC DESCRIPTION "CONCENTRATED HELL" FIRE-BREATHING MONSTERS (Reed. 6.30 p.m.) LONDON, Nov. 24 Desert- tank battles usually take place at a range of from 300 to 800 yards, although often it may be as much as 1200 yards, says the Daily Telegraph's Cairo correspondent. The battles extend over a vast area, and the tanks manoeuvre, firing continuously, until one side has lost such a proportion of its forces that the survivors make off. Fire power, speed and armour are tlie three decisive factors, and the American tanks have shown superiority over the Germans in these respects, particularly in repeatedly outpacing their opponents and being able to take heavy punishment. Human losses in these actions are comparatively low, and it is not uncommon for a tank to be knocked out without casualties to the crew. Battle Seen from the Air "The tank battle around Sidi Rezegh as 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. He added that these monsters lumber slowly forward, swing this way and that way, each intent on the other's destruction.

"The battle seems to be raging for miles. The enemy used to pop off at us when we attacked," said this airman, "but since Friday their hands have been full trying to stand up to British tank attacks. Guns are blazing away on all sides and we hear the crackle of firing above the roar of our engines. 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." Lines Firing Broadsides With fighters also attacking from a low level, one battle was between parallel lines of tanks moving at only five miles an hour. The lines fired broadsides into each other, and a number of German tanks burst into flames. The German panzer units have suffered heavy losses, but it is admitted in Cairo that the British losses have also been heavy. The British, however, have been left in possession of battlefields and have been able to salvage and repair damaged vehicles. Describing one engagement, a commentator states that the British, using little 11-ton American tanks, fought German 17-ton and 22-ton tanks with a much heavier armament. The tanks used by the British mounted only 37millimetre guns, while the heavier German tanks carried 50-millimetre guns. Nevertheless, 60 of the enemy tanks were knocked out and others made off into the darkness with the tenacious little 11-ton tanks worrying them.

ADVANCE IN HEAVY RAIN NEW ZEALAND DIVISION Official War Correspondent, N.Z.E.F'. CAIRO, Nov. 13 Most of the action in which the New Zealand Division has been engaged has taken place in heavy rain. The first shots fired under the New Zealand command 'in this campaign found a valuable mark. The main force was still travelling toward the frontier when a report came back of a cavalry regiment's success against enemy aircraft.

The cavalry had bean "sitting on the wire" for some days using its armoured vehicles in forward reconnaissance work. One day an Italian aeroplane flew over and machine-gunned their frontier positions. The next day a machine offered an encore. It was shot down by fire from British guns under the regiment's command. "First round to us." said the officer who reported the success.

TANKS AT TOBRUK HOW GARRISON PRACTISED LONDON, Nov. 24 An agency correspondent tells how the Tobruk garrison practised with the tanks inside the town's fortifications. They carried out movements in extended formations in the restricted area while enemy aeroplanes were often overhead. The garrison completed its preparations without losing a single tank. Skirmishes are going on between tanks in the desert day and night. The fighting may begin in one area, continue into another and finally be broken off in another area without result. For mobility the operations are similar to those at sea. The difference between the British and American tanks in the Western Desert, said an expert in London, was the difference between British and American cars. The British tanks were built for endurance, while the American tanks concentrated on being quick off the mark. British and German tank tactics differed in that while the British went in with an inverted V formation, the Germans adopted a, formation consisting of small squares. Only a few Australians now remain with the Tobruk garrison. The remainder of the Australians were transferred by sea without the loss of a single life.