BOLD MOVE

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

BOLD MOVE

GERMAN DIVERSION RAID OVER FRONTIER BRITISH COUNTER-ACTION (Eecd. 5.5 p.m.) LONDON, Nov. 27 In an effort to divert attention and forces from the main operation, the enemy has staged a raid on a substantial scale along the general , axis across the frontier south of Sidi Omar. This raiding column was last located in the area mid-wav between Halfaya Pass and Sidi ; Omar. As soon as the German diversionary force passed Gabr Saleh, 45 miles southeast of Tobruk, and continuously until it reached the frontier, it was severely attacked by bombers and fighters of the Royal Air Force. The German force was met by British tanks and artillery on the frontier, and lost about one-third of its tanks. It *as undoubtedly a determined and courageous action, which must have seriously weakened General Rommel's already depleted main formation. The German diversionary force is falling back westward under pressure of Empire mobile columns, reports the T)aily Telegraph's Cairo correspondent. Although the action also menaced the southern flank of the Empire forces lying opposite the German coastal positions, it was primarily intended to draw off British forces from Sidi (/ i Bezegh. The column failed to do this a result of the disposition of the British forces. Rommel's tanks have no tune, even if this were desired, to return for the new Sidi Rezegh battle. The Times' military correspondent doscribes the German movement across the frontier as extremely bold. The enemy may consider the column has executed its task if it causes some con- , _ lOll to British communications, eveu it were destroyed in the process. IN BRITISH COLUMN lorry of German troops glad to be captured CAIRO, Nov. 2V> South African troops moving up in the desert found a strange lorry in the fiddle of their column, says the Sydney Morning Herald's war correspondent, An officer walked over to Question the occupants and found to amazement that they were a lorry°ad of German troops, consisting of tree or four tank crews which, when their tanks were knocked out in an earlier engagement, attempted to escape bv lorry. Unfortunately for them their vehicle broke down. They accepted the situation philosophically enough, and remarked that they Mere not sorry to be out of it, as they had had no sleep for five days. A German pilot 1 saw shot down this horning told me much the same thing. |P ea king perfect English, he said: Thank God that's over. I have had enough." AMERICAN KILLED LONDON, Nov. 2<? Sergeant Deltnor Park, an American observer technician with the Amcrican'nade tanks in Cyrenaica, was killed by ®iachine-gun fire while travelling to a 3 &k formation. He is the first AmeriArmy casualty, ,