HEAVY TOLL TAKEN

Waikato Times, Volume 129, Issue 21590, 28 November 1941, Page 6

HEAVY TOLL TAKEN

CASUALTIES and tanks NEW ZEALANDERS' EXPLOIT ll mini rm< a-sii.—Elec. Tel. Cor.vrlgnn (Received Nov. 28. 3.15 p.m.) LONDON. Nov. 27 The New Zealanders in the Sidi Rezegh area face stiff fighting, says the military spokesman at Cairo. Only the advanced units of the New Zealanders and Tobruk forces have so far joined up and enemy pockets remain between the main forces, for which reason it is too early to say that Tobruk has been relieved. The New Zealanders’ drives from Capuzzo through Gambut and along the coast met with bitter opposition from German tanks and infantry, which took a heavy toll of men and machines.

Dead and wounded, wrecked tanks and lorries from both sides littered the desert for over 100 square miles. The New Zealanders throughout these operations closely followed up the tanks, but when the tanks engaged in running fights the New Zealanders moved on alone against the German artillery and machine-gun posts, dug deep into the desert. The junction with the Tobruk forces occurred before dawn today, when the British tanks sighted a battle formation of tanks ahead. Identification was difficult in the grey light. Both sides manoeuvred warily until dawn revealed that all were British. The New Zealanders, when they captured Gambut. completely surprised the Germans, who thought their tanks had smashed up the British ones miles away.

The New Zealanders captured nineteen Messerschmitts and their crews on the Gambut aerodrome.