NORTHWARD THRUST

Otago Daily Times, Issue 24772, 24 November 1941, Page 5

NORTHWARD THRUST

DANGER FOR GERMANS EFFORTS TO BREAK OUT (Rec. 11 p.m.) LONDON, Nov. 22. Troops in the wake of the armoured spearheads are thrusting northward behind Sidi Omar to cut off the frontier line defences on which the Germans and Italians have spent so much time and effort. To their s right they see great columns of black smoke shooting up on the horizon as artillery on the Egyptian side of the frontier pounds the fortifications and lays down barrages for the attacking troops. General Rommel realises the seriousness of this northward drive and, according to a Cairo military spokesman, the Germans to-day made three separate attacks 45 miles west of Capuzzo in an effort to break through, but they were driven back each time with heavy losses. Our lightning advance to Rezegh put us astride General Rommel's main line of retreat and supply, and General Sir Alan Cunningham has apparently consolidated this thrust by rushing up major armoured forces, establishing what the Cairo spokesman called a ring around the German forces in northeast Libya. Historic Battle Reuter's Cairo correspondent says the battle in Libya is likely to go down in history as one of the greatest ever for the strategy and tactics employed. All Egypt is eagerly awaiting news of the latest phase which, it is believed, will out-shine all previous communiques. The Berlin radio sa'd a front of 94 miles was established in North Africa. The battle for Sidi Omar goes on. but whatever the result the British should not rejoice too soon. It took General Rommel only 15 days to r3capture a space at least twenty-fold bigger. We repeat what the British Ministry of information said last year, the loss of a mile or so of desert matters little. The Stefani Agency says the British failed to achieve any outstanding results in Libya in spite of the use of the largest forces yet employed in North Africa. The Zurich radio announced that Italian troops in Libya had been placed under the control of General Bastico Gambara. The United States military mission, headed by Brigadier General Maxwell, has arrived in Cairo to take charge of all phases of American aid to the British forces, and hundreds of American technicians are following.