PATROLS ACTIVE AMID STORMS

New Zealand Herald, Volume 78, Issue 24141, 6 December 1941, Page 11

PATROLS ACTIVE AMID STORMS

SCORES OF MISSING RETURN CASUALTIES A THIRD BELOW ESTIMATE (Received December 5, 9.30 p.m.) LONDON, Dec. 5 The Germans appear determined to hold the line from Tobruk to Bir-el-Gobi along which they are digging anti-tank obstacles, gun positions and trenches, says Reuters correspondent with advanced Royal' Air Force headquarters. The Germans aim to screen Tobruk by a series of defence works curving north-east from El Adem through Sidi Rezegh. General Rommel, with his positional troops holding these lines, obviously hopes to use the remaining tanks as a highly mobile striking force to divert the main British attack. Patrols and flying columns are ranging the Libyan battlefield in spite of the worst possible weather, but the main forces continue to recondition fighting vehicles, strengthen communications and regroup units, which at any moment are likely to re-engage in bitter battles. Driving rain continues along the coast and there are sandstorms inland. Lieutenant-General A. G. Cunningham's men are eagerly awaiting another chance to get at grips with the Germans. The New Zealanders and South Africans are particularly keen to get a chance of paying off old scores. The New Zealanders have already hit General Rommel's forces extremely heavy blows, and it is now revealed that the Germans broke through the Tobruk Corridor only after a terrific battle in which the New Zealanders inflicted such losses that they seriously impaired the Germans* effective strength. Scores of men reported missing are daily reaching the British lines, says the Daily Express correspondent with the Eighth Army. Some walk, some ride in Italian and German vehicles which they find stranded and repair. Some even have ridden camels. The movement has become so general in the last few days that a staff officer said to-day that British casualties wduld probably be onethird less than was originally thought. Units which were previously written off are being regrouped and re-formed in the south. . Since the beginning of the fighting in Libya 27 fighter airmen of the South African Air Force who had failed to return from operations have reported to their squadrons, says a British official wireless message. A pilot-officer returned after being missing for two days. He brought his Tomahawk home with him. It was towed across the desert for 50 miles by an armoured car.