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INDIANS ARE 200 MILES
FROM BENGHAZI
INFANTRY UNITS JOIN IN
REZEGH BATTLE
' LONDON, Tuesday.--With the capture of a point 200
miles south of Benghazi by an Indian division which ad
_ vanced from Jarabub, a new threat to the Axis tenure of
Cyrenaica has developed.
Meanwhile the fierce battle around Rezegh continues. The tank
forces that have been engaged there for nearly three days have now
been joined by British and Imperial infantry units who are fighting
in the open without digging trenches.
According to reports received in London, the defenders of Tob
ruk have consolidated their gains and have made new and success
ful sorties outside the perimeter. South African infantry is engaged
in fierce fighting on the escarpment south of Tobruk. In all 119
enemy planes were destroyed on November 18 and 23.
The scene of one of the war's greatest and most critically im: portant battles. Help
The scene of one of the war's
greatest and most critically im:
portant battles.
"There has been a concentrated tank
battle for the past 48 hours, but the
tanks are getting fewer, and infantry
is coming into it more and .more on
both sides," said a Cairo military
spokesman last night.
"There has been considerable hand
to-hand flighting and probably bayonets
have been used,
"The infantry joining in the Rezegh
battle comprise British, New Zea
land and South African forces.
"Air opposition has increased, but
the enemy is concentrating on back
areas rather than the battlefield.
"The infantry are going 'hell for
leather,' proving their ability to outwit
the German tactical experts. They
are out to break the myth about Ger
man invincibility."
The Cairo correspondent of the
"Dafily Telegraph" says that British
artillery has been brought up to com
mand the bottle-neck between the
Tobruk forces and those advancing
north, which is steadily narrowing.
Fighting has now moved slightly to the
south-east of Rezegh, and more and
more infantry are being drawn into the
battle. This is somewhat stabilising
the fighting, although this will not be
fully apparent for a further 24 hours.
Continuous attacks are being made
by British aircraft on enemy tanks.
supply columns, landing grounds and
personnel in battle,
.Germans; Reckless
The "Exchange Telegraph" corre
spondent reports that the Germans are
lighting with reckless courage, fury and
desperation in a gigantic effort to escape
from the trap in which they were
caught. Casualties have been disre
garded. The enemy, however, was
outflanked on the left wing.
It is likely that the Germans are
now running short of food and water,
ammunition and fuel,
Fighting is also proceeding in the
southern sector, where the Germans are
making frantic efforts to join up with
their main force.
This battle .for armoured superiority
may last for three or four more days.
The fighting is described in similar
terms by the Cairo correspondent of
"The Times."
"The conflict around Rezegh is hour
ly growing more intense and furious,"
he Says. General Rommel's panzer
units are hitting back with wild des
peration as the British draw in.
"Because of casualties, the numbers
of tanks engaged have dwindled.
Fighting is now going on over a rela
tively smaller area, although it it
still large. There are no definite lines
and no fixed plan - merely masses
of death-dealing tanks manoeuv
ring, attacking and counter-attack
ing."
A correspondent of British United
Press with the Eighth Army says that
in an attempt to overcome the advan
tage enjoyed by the British tanks in
superiority of armour, the Germans
have thrown into the battle hastily
devised mobile artillery. The Germans
are stripping the armour from some
of the heavy tanks and mounting guns
on the tank-frame, hoping that in
creased fire-power will make up for
loss of protection.
"British officers report that these
lumbering gun-carriers are 'easy meat'
for the fast and manoeuvrable cruiser
and American tanks," he adds.
Still Formidable Foe
Captain Cyril Falls, military corres
pondent of "The Times," says that, al
though the German armoured corps has
lost one-half of its tank forces, the
corps remains a formidable force,
under a bold and resolute commander.
"It appears that in this unique battle
the armoured forces are nicely bal
anced, although our strategic position
seems to be the more favourable," he
adds, "If the balance is tipped a de
cision may come quickly.
"Our troops are fighting confidently
and gallantly. They and their leaders
are doing all that is humanly possible
to ensure that the balance shall tip the
right way. Until then it would be
folly to translate wishes into certain
ties."
Referring to the capture of Bardia
the correspondent of Associated Press
of America with the Eighth Army says
that a New Zealand patrol entered
Bardia, which was found to be evacu
ated. South African infantry and sup
porting tank columns cleaned up seve
ral Italian formations with bayonets
and grenades.
"Most of the credit so far should,
perhaps, go to a column consisting
of crack English regiments, which
decisively hurled back a Panzer
force," he continues. "The English
men used American M-3 tanks
against much heavier German tanks.
If this column had failed the whole
campaign might have collapsed."
The British supply arrangements are
functioning excellently, but the enemy
indisputably is encountering serious
difficulties, says the Cairo correspon
dent of "The Times."
"It must be stressed that the battle,
in essence, is being fought between
English and Germans," he explains
"The main brunt of the action is being
borne by the armoured forces, 70 per
cent. of which is English and the rest
mainly South African. The R.A.F. also
is predominantly English.
'These forces are bearing out the
contention that man for man and
machine for machine the British are
more than a match for the Germans.
"' he Germans, shorn of their ac
customed numerical superiority, are
flighting back courageously and ten
aciously, but there are signs that they
do not appreciate the changed role."
Offensive in Air
Further successful operations in
support of the offensive in Libya were
carried out by British aircraft on
Sunday, states last night's R.A.F. com
munique from the Middle East.
"In the battle' area our fighters
were particularly active, and five
JU 87's. five Messerschmitt 109's and
one G50 were shot down. Many
enemy dive-bombers and fighters
were severely damaged," it says.
"Low-level machine-gunning at
tacks were made on enemy aircraft
on the ground in the Barce area,
where four Savoia 79's were destroyed.
Another Savoia 79 was shot down
by our fighters in an unsuccessful
attempt by the enemy to raid one
of our landing-grounds.
"Co-operating with the Imoerial
land forces, bomber aircraft of the
R.A.F. and S.A.A.F. made a series
of raids on enemy tanks, motor trans
port and personnel in the battle
zone. Direct hits were obtained on
armoured fighting vehicles and motor
transport in the Bir-el-Gobi area,
where our bombers shot down one
Messerschmitt 109F.
"The road from El Adem to Dir-el
Gobi was also heavily bombed. Fur
ther concentrated raids, in which a
squadron of Free French bombers took
active part, were carried out in the
vicinity of El Adem.
"During Saturday night our bomber
aircraft raided aerodromes at Benina
and Berka. At Beninr a large fire
was started in the aerodrome build
ings and considerable damage was
done to petrol installations. At least
one enemy aircraft was seen to burst
into flames on the ground.
"At Berka, direct hits were scored
on buildings, the motor transport dis
persal 'area and bomb-dumps. Fires
and explosions were observed.
"Other bombers were active over
Tripoli and Gazala. At the lastnamed
objective a large petrol dump was
destroyed."
The longest air battle in the history
of Libya occurred south of Tobruk
on Saturday evening. A Tomahawk
squadron, including Australians, fought
an equal, number of Messerschmitth
for more than an hour until the Ger
mans broke off the fight as darkness
fell. Only one Tomahawk crashed.
while the enemy lost three Messer
schmitts. Many others were damaged.
The air correspondent of "The
Times" says that the safety and mo
bility of the R.A.F. squadrons has
been considerably increased by the
employment of their own armoured
car companies, which protect the
transports when taking supplies to new
serodromes.
Reconnaissance flights over a period
of months searched out tracts of
country suitable for advanced land
ing fields and, as the ground forces
advance, the R.A.F. fighter squadrons
are able to accompany them.
Attack Beaten Off
The afternoon Cairo G.H.Q. com
munique says:
"Intensive fighting between German
and British armoured units continued in
the area about Sidi Rezegh. Reinforce
ments which have reached the area
were also involved in the fighting on
Monday. The South Africans, who
first deployed, sustained a heavy attack
from German lorry-borne infantry sup
ported by tanks. The South Africans,
who were heawily outnumbered in the
particular sector for which they were
responsible, fought with magnificent
courage until British armoured units
counter-attacked and, eventually drove
off the German tanks with heavy
losses.
"Meanwhile New Zealand forces,
supported by British tanks, were con
tinuing their advance towards Tobruk.
Throughout its course this battle has
been very heavy. On both sides ground
has been given and regained only after
bitter fighting, in which the main ob
ject has been the destruction of the
opposing armoured units. Tank casu
alties have been heavy on both sides,
but owing to the nature of the fight
ing it is not yet possible to estimate
actual losses inflicted or sustained.
Over 2000 Prisoners
"The British force which sallied
from Tobruk has consolidated positions
gained, capturing over 2000 prisoners,
of whom about half are German. Over
1000 prisoners have already been taken
to the frontier area and many more
are coming in.
"Meanwhile in the southern sector
of the battle area our mobile forces
from Jarabub have made considerable
progress. The Fifth Indian Division
has captured Aujila.
"Our air forces have maintained air
superiority all day, continuously bomb
ing the German forces and concen
trations of mechanical transport, on
which low flying fighter attacks have
also inflicted, many casualties. Co
operation between army and air force
continues of the highest order, and
the Royal Navy's assistance has been
most successful."
ROME'S VERSION
LONDON, Tuesday.-To-day's Rome
communique says the Axis forces
fought bitterly all day on Monday in
Libya. An Ariete division and
German armoured divisions concluded
the encircling movement begun in the
Bir-el-Gobi region on Sunday and
wiped out the British 22nd Armoured
Brigade and took many more prison
ers. The battlelleld was strewn with
the wreckage of tanks. Mopping up
operations were progressing. The
enemy, encircled in the Tobruk area,
attempted to break through, but were
repulsed. Italians on the Sollum front
withstood all enemy attacks carried
out with fresh infantry divisions
brought from the East.
Axis 'planes repeatedly bombed
Tobruk and Italian 'planes shot down
eight British 'planes in air combat.
'he Germans shot down 12 and set
fire to six on the. ground. Italians
inflicted heavy losses on men and
armoured units. Italian losses also
were high. The garrison at Gialo
oasis (a few miles south-east of
Aujila) still resisted the enemy on
slaught
British 'planes raided Tripoli, Beng
hazi and several minor localities in
Libya. There was slight damage but
no casualties.
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