RAPID CHANGES

Wairarapa Times-Age, 29 November 1941, Page 5

RAPID CHANGES

IN THE BATTLE AREA FORCES INTERWOVEN ALL OVER DESERT. STORIES OF GALLANT DEEDS. (By Telegraph—Press Association —Copyright) LONDON, November 28. A dispatch says the situation in the Libyan battle area is changing every hour. A major with a tank unit which was chasing German armoured cars reached the British headquarters and said the unit passed through four series of British'and German battle lines since it left Sidi Rezegh. Our forces are interwoven all over the desert; we are cutting off the Germans at one moment and they seem to be doing the same to us the next. There are stories of great personal courage, initiative and resource. All British arms are being poured in. An Australian who was piloting one of 20 Tomahawks which engaged 60 Axis bombers and fighters ran out of ammunition, but carried on fighting with his revolver. These Tomahawks shot down 10 planes for the loss of two. A South African pilot of a Tomahawk had a foot shot off by a shell, but was determined to fly back to his base. He realised he was on the verge of collapse when half-way home, and therefore he emptied his water-bottle over his head. He was forced to give up the struggle five miles from the base, but he neatly landed the plane before he collapsed. Rescuers asked why he did not bale out. He replied, “I had to get my plane home.” A South African sergeant during a tank battle at Sidi Rezegh climbed on to’a German tank. A German pushed up the turret to shoot him and he dropped in a grenade, blowing up the tank and himself.