IMPERIAL FORCES NEAR TOBRUK

New Zealand Herald, Volume 78, Issue 24136, 1 December 1941, Page 8

IMPERIAL FORCES NEAR TOBRUK

MAIN AXIS UNITS PENNED ATTACK ON NEW ZEALAND REAR FAILS By Telegraph—Presa Association—Copyright '(Received November 30, 11.42 p.m.) LONDON, Nov. 30 I Brisk hand-to-hand fighting resulted in the corridor between Sidi Rezegh and Tobruk being widened by the British and New Zealand forces to six miles at its narrowest point, says the Associated Press correspondent with the Eighth Army. The military spokesman in Cairo said Germans had massed guns with the object of opposing the further widening of the corridor of contact between the Imperial forces. South African infantry, supported by British tanks, have begun a flanking movement east of the main German armoured division, which is now between Sidi Rezegh and Gasr el Aryid, 26 miles east of Sidi Rezegh. The Axis forces east of Tobruk appear to De confined between the coast and a line roughly joining Tobruk, Sidi Rezegh, Gambut and Bardia. Their scope for manoeuvre is thus considerably reduced, but there are no signs that their pugnacity is flagging, and they are doing their utmost to prevent the consolidation of the British "bridge" between Tobruk and Sidi Rezegh. A German column comprising 40 or 50 tanks and over 1000 lorries full of troops, came from the Capuzzo region to attack the New Zealanders* rear. The Royal Air Force bombed and machinegunned them every mile of their advance until British armoured forces had time to come up and engage them. Their withdrawal has not only removed the threat to the rear of our forces in the Sidi Rezegh area, but has forced the Germans into a more restricted area of operations and enabled the British south-east of Tobruk to concentrate their attacks. These British forces at the same time are pushing to the west against strong Axis forces to link up with the British and New Zealanders, and have been advancing westward continually for eight hours in spite of strong Axis opposition. Behind them strong Imperial forces are attacking the remnants of Rommel's armoured forces east of Sidi Rezegh. The gap between the main Axis strength and their armies west of Tobruk is steadily widening. Berlin radio has announced that the Axis troops in Libya are fighting a bitter defensive battle. A Rome spokesman states that the Italian General Hector Dastico has been placed in supreme command of all Axis forces in Libya, including General Rommel's force.