ENEMY TRAPPED IN TRIANGLE

Southland Times, Issue 24600, 24 November 1941, Page 5

ENEMY TRAPPED IN TRIANGLE

ROMMEL’S SITUATION BECOMING WORSE

RAPID BRITISH ADVANCE TO REZEGH

(Rec. 8.30 p.m.) LONDON, Nov. 22. Trapped in the Sidi Omar-Bardia-Tobruk triangle, General Erwin Rommel’s situation is hourly becoming more unfavourable and may at any moment become untenable, says The Daily Mail’s correspondent from general headquarters in the Western Desert. The military spokesman in Cairo said that our rapid advance to Rezegh split the German armoured units. The larger portion is in the Gambut-Capuzzo area and the smaller south of Tobruk. We are now engaging the main portion. The weather is clearing and the battle is now occurring on ground where the going is good. Supported by many tanks, British forces on Friday, sallied out from Tobruk with the object of joining the forces holding Rezegh. At nightfall they had captured a position three miles south-east of the perimeter and were steadily progressing against heavy opposition. Communiques are almost ignoring the Italian divisions east and -west of the perimeter. SUPPLIES FROM CRETE Aerial reconnaissance reveals that the Germans are trying to bring supplies and reinforcements from Crete by gliders. The Associated Press correspondent with the Bth Army says that the British are employing many new devices and tactics which cannot yet be revealed. There are signs that the soft landing grounds and the British bombing are seriously hampering the German attempts to bring air reinforcements from Crete. We are witnessing a reversal of the situation in Greece and Crete. The British now hold air supremacy. One of the Royal Air Force’s chief problems is to move up ground establishments and equipment fast enough to keep up with the advance. Tomahawk fighters are giving magnificent service, their long range proving of great value. Hurricane fighterbombers are being used as artillery and are closely co-operating. The British forces are busily engaged in the job of destroying the German tank forces. The present tank battle is the key to the whole situation. It is going very well for the British. The battle is raging over an area of 30 to 40 square miles. Fighting was resumed on Saturday morning, although with fewer numbers as a result of yesterday’s casualties.

The Germans to the east are doing their utmost to break out westwards, but have been beaten back. The Germans, however, will fight to the last tank. Our forces are holding back the Germans on the west, having driven a wedge between them. The tank forces were about equal at the start of the offensive. PROSPECT OF RELIEF The Daily Telegraph’s Western Desert correspondent says that the Tobruk garrison is agog with excitement at the prospect of imminent relief and is making sorties to harrass the enemy. The British armoured columns are blasting enemy troop concentrations and transport lines. The Cairo correspondent of Reuters says that the battle for 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 said that a front of ninety-four miles had been 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 recapture a space at least twentyfold 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 News Agency says the British had failed to achieve any outstanding results in Libya, despite the use of the largest forces yet employed in North Africa. The Zurich radio announced that the Italian troops in Libya had been placed under the control of General Bastien 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. Hundreds of American technicians are following.