TANK ACTION IN DESERT

Timaru Herald, Volume CXLVIII, Issue 21821, 26 November 1940, Page 5

TANK ACTION IN DESERT

Dashing Raid On Italians By Telegraph—Press Association —Convrighf LONDON, November 24. A newspaper correspondent in the Western Desert gives the first full account of a tank action 60 miles south of Sidi Bariani last Thursday. The battle, which lasted for five hours, was the mechanised equivalent of the dashing cavalry attack of other days. Eleven Italian tanks were destroyed or damaged, and 11 Italians were captured. The British base received a signal early in the morning that one of its patrols was being attacked by a large Italian force. The British went out in some strength, and when their dust was seen by the Italians, the enemyopened a heavy fire. The British held their fire until within 200 yards of the enemy, when they wheeled so as to take up the best position to find the vulnerable spots in the enemy armour. Besides the 11 Italian tanks lost, two ammunition lorries were blown up. Driven from Post Meantime, British bombers have carried out effective raids against Italian bases in Libya and Italian East Africa. Land operations include a British success on the Sudan border, where the Italians have been driven out of a frontier post near Gallabat. Italian patrols in this area will now venture out only after dark. So much for the Italian claim that Gallabat is still in their hands. In a clash between a superior Italian mechanised force and British units, the enemy were driven off with losses. A communique from General Headquarters in Cairo states that British patrols, supported by artillery, continued activities in the area between Gallabat and Metemma. There is no change on other fronts. Enemy ’planes dropped bombs on Alexandria this morning, injuring 11 persons and causing slight damage.