84 TANKS LOST

Waikato Times, Volume 129, Issue 21601, 11 December 1941, Page 6

84 TANKS LOST

ENEMY'S HEAVY LOSSES ATTACK. ON AMBULANCE (United Tress as;:..— niec. Tel. Copyright; LONDON, Dec. 9 Sixty-six enemy tanks have been destroyed in the past six days in Libya, says tne Daily Telegraph s Cairo correspondent. The enemy abandoned 18 tanks in the same period. The Daily Mail’s Cairo correspondent says tanks from Tobruk spotted the remnants of the Italian Bologna Division, less than a battalion strong, marching wearily after abandoning strong positions along the coast east of Tobruk. The British tanks mistook tne Italians tor British prisoners and charged to tne rescue. The Bologna Division ceased to exist. Reuter’s correspondent with the Eighth Army says a clearly marked British ambulance aeropiane was about to land wnen nine Messerschmitts swept across its path 100 ft from the ground and set it on fire. The pilot skilfully made a crash landing and all the occupants escaped. One Messerschmitt was shot down and another was probably destroyed. This is the second British ambulance aeroplane destroyed in the campaign. It is revealed that an aerial torpedo hit the ship carrying Geneva] von Revenstein, officer commanding the 21st Panzer Division, who was captured in Libya, to Alexandria. A British destroyer saved von Rever.stem, who was dressed in pyjamas at the time.