CAPTURE OF TANK

New Zealand Herald, Volume 78, Issue 24133, 27 November 1941, Page 9

CAPTURE OF TANK

LONE SOUTH AFRICAN SIX AGAINST THREE HUNDRED BRITONS ' REPEL ITALIANS (Recti. 11.30 p.m.) HONDO*, Nov. 26 . There have been many deeds of heroism in the desert offensive. Half a dozen British troops suddenly found themselves face to face with 300 Italians supported by tanks. The British immediately opened fire with machine-guns and also used handgrenades to such good purpose that the enemy made off. On another occasion a South African armed with an anti-tank pun and handgrenades came upon a German tank. He jumped up on to it and threatened the crew with hand grenades and forced them to drive up to British headquarters. So quickly has the battle been moving that a British Broadcasting Corporation observer reports that he has just had his first chance of getting his recording gear set up. He says he has been constantly dodging shell-fire and air attacks, and has never been in the same place for long. For two days he had tried to communicate with forward units by wireless, but without success. During one enemy dive-bombing attack on a British armoured concentration he took up a position in a piece of open ground near a South African who was armed with a machine-gun. The Stukas attacked in almost vertical divep, and the observer states that be was frankly terrified. One Stiika swept down to 40 feet with its machine-guns blazing. Bullets were singing in the sand. The South African turned his machine-gun on it. Smoke came from the tar\, and the machine dived into the Band only a few yards away, Another Stuka crashed in the distance. * SHARP ATTACK INDIAN BRIGADE'S TASK CAPTURE OF STRONG POST (Reed. 5.50 p.m.) LONDON, Nov. 20 The correspondent of the Associated Press in Cairo says an Indian brigade on Sunday was given the task of capturing a position south-west of Capuzzo, which was heavily fortified with strongpoints and deep gun-positions, the whole being surrounded by a minefield. A patrol discovered a path through the minefield and the brigade attacked, after preliminary bombing. The Germans fought bitterly to the end, and the Italians for once defended themselves well and surrendered only when the infantry were among them. All was over in three hours, except for mopping up. The Indians took at least 1500 prisoners, including 28 officers. 3000 PRISONERS MANY MORE COMING IN LONDON, Nov. 26 Tho British forces which sallied from Tobruk have consolidated the positions gained and have captured over 2000 ' prisoners, of whom about half are Ger- ■ mans. ' In the frontier area over 1000 5 prisoners have been already taken and many more are coming in. Meanwhile, I in the southern sector o'f the battle area mobile Empire forces from Jara- ' bub have made considerable progress, and tho troops of the sth Indian Division have captured Augila, near Jalo. In the course of numerous engagements South African and New Zealand i infantry supported their own tank units ( and valiantly did their part. i ' CLAIM BY ITALIANS (Reed. K. 50 p.m.) ROME, Nov. 26 ■ The Stefani news agency claims that , as the result of Axis counter-attacks [ the British in some sectors have lost the initiative and are in a delicate posi- . tion. A large part of the British armoured forces, the agency claims, are . surrounded and are now being wiped out. ■ GERMAN REINFORCEMENTS ' (Reed. 5.50 p.m.l ANKARA, Nov._ 26 Travellers from the Balkans reaching • Ankara say three or four trainloads of 3 German troops and war materials re- } cently passed through Skoplje, bound \ for Salonika, for the purpose of going t to Libya. Tho Daily Express says it is reported from Kuibyshev that the Germans have s been compelled to withdraw considerable I air forces from the Russian front for 3 Libva. a ■ __ 1 6,000,000 CASUALTIES I GERMANS IN RUSSIA v r VAST MATERIAL LOSSES 4 (Reed. 5.50 p.m.) LONDON, Nov. 25 3 The Moscow radio says that so far y in the eastern campaign the Germans v have lost nearly 6,000,000 killed, wounded and prisoners. The Russian losses are 2,122,000, of whom 490,000 were killed, 1,112,000 wounded and 520,000 are missing. 0 Tho Germans have lost over 15,000 ! ~ tanks, about 13,000 aeroplanes and q about 19,000 guns. The Russian losses a are 7900 tanks, 6400 aeroplanes and 12,900 guns.