FORCES REGROUPED AT REZEGH

New Zealand Herald, Volume 78, Issue 24134, 28 November 1941, Page 7

FORCES REGROUPED AT REZEGH

WRECKAGE LITTERS DESERT I new zealanders join main force By Tck'srraph—Press Association —Copyright (Received November 27. 11.02 p.m.) ' LONDON Nor 27 Reuters correspondent with the Eighth Army says General Rommel is using the suspension of the main battle while the British armoured forces re-form to gather reinforcements and strengthen the German and Italian positions south of Tobruk, where fierce fighting is developing. General Cunningham is massing fresh forces in the Sidi Rezegh area and reinforcing those who have seen a week's hard fighting. The new German positions, state agency correspondents. stretch from Bir-el-Gobi to the north-east of Sidi Rezegh, and from there to the perimeter defences of Tobruk. The Cairo correspondent of the Times says that after simmering for two days the battle at Sidi Rezegh is again reaching boiling point as reinforcements on both sides are taking up positions. Thl Germans are everywhere fighting back with sustained fury. "Tremendous 24 Hours" The Daily Express correspondent, reporting that it is understood in Cairo that the second great British tank offensive has begun, says the British are making a new wide encircling movement westv/ard around General Rommel's remaining groups in the Sidi Rezegh area, in order to out-flank and cut off the enemy from his bases at Gazala and Derna. This correspondent, in a message dated Tuesday, says, "It has been a tremendous 24 hours, in which British and German armoured units have fought each other to the death for many miles around the south-east approaches to Tobruk. The desert is littered with broken and burning vehicles, overturned trucks, smashed guns and up-ended, smouldering aircraft, while all over the battlefield wounded and lost men are sorting themselves out and trying to find their units. Prisoners and Casualties There is no front line. British and German tanks met and wiped out each other, that's all. Both sides have taken thousands of prisoners and suffered thousands of casualties. It remains now for the remnants of the opposing armoured forces to re-form and wait for reinforcements to reopen this bloodiest and swiftest battle the desert has ever seen. I have been travelling over the battlefield, but it is impossible to give news of the fate of various units. There are scattered parties everywhere, while British air fleets roar endlessly past, bombing and fighting off enemy aircraft. There is terrific activity behind our lines." The New Zealanders, driving westward with British tank support, have now joined the South Africans and the British troops in the Sidi Rezegh area, says the military spokesman in Cairo. The New Zealanders' advance to Sidi Rezegh was slowed down as a result of finding a number of enemy "pockets," consisting of lorry-borne infantry, which were mopped up. Both air commands are throwing strong forces into the battle, and the Germans are using heavy Messerschmitt reinforcements from Crete and southern Italy. Twenty of our fighters attacked and drove off 70 Messerschmitts on Tuesday night, shooting down 10.