THE D.S.O

Wairarapa Times-Age, 29 November 1941, Page 5

THE D.S.O

IMMEDIATE AWARD MADE TO SQUADRON LEADER MAGNIFICENT ACHIEVEMENTS OF BEAUFIGHTERS. IN THE LIBYAN OFFENSIVE.' (British Official Wireless.) (Received This Day, 10.6 a.m.) RUGBY, November 28. It has been announced from R.A.F. Headquarters in the Middle East that an immediate award has been made to Squadron Leader R. G. Yaxley, M.C., D.F.C., of the D.S.O. This follows the magnificent achievements of the Beaufighters in destroying at least 44 enemy aircraft since the beginning of the offensive in Libya. EARLY MORNING MOVE HOW THE TOBRUK MEN BROKE OUT. LONDON, November 28. How the long-pent Tobruk garrison broke from the fortress and forced the corridor southward is described in a dispatch from Tobruk. The operations started at 4 a.m., and the first objectives were the strongholds “Butch,” “Jack,” “Jill,” and “Tiger”—enemy posts so-named by the Australians. “Butch” was taken in 15 minutes in face of furious ma-chine-gun and mortar fire. “Jack,” “Jill,” and “Tiger” were mopped up after four hours’ fighting. Thereafter the infantry followed the plan of heading for El Duda and the El Adem escarpment to link up with the Imperial forces coming from the south. The operations by .the end of the day had gone according to plan in the face of strenuous resistance by the enemy’s strongest battalions. Eleven hundred Germans and Italians were taken prisoner. Meanwhile, ahead of the infantry tanks made havoc with the enemy posts and artillery blasted enemy troops and gun positions. Never before in the' history of desert fighting has an artillery duel reached such a crescendo. The move from Tobruk was so bold and the secret had been so well guarded that the enemy were taken completely by surprise.