MAIN BATTLE

Wairarapa Times-Age, 1 December 1941, Page 6

MAIN BATTLE

ON THE LIBYAN FRONT ■» BECOMING MORE STABLE. LARGE NUMBERS OF PRISONERS TAKEN. (British Official Wireless.) (Received This Day, 12.5 p.m.) RUGBY, November 30. The new battle which has developed in Cyrenaica is continuing, but is stated to be stabilising, according to an agency message from Cairo. An attempt by the enemy armoured troops to break through to the westward by penetrating the positions :of British infantry so far has failed and the situation is regarded as satisfactory. It is mainly , an infantry battle, with tanks supporting both sides. All the remaining Axis tanks are engaged. Besides the' commander of the German 21st Armoured Division, captured east of Tobruk, a large number of other prisoners are stated to have been taken, including members of both panzer divisions. In the frontier area, the Indians are mopping up the remnants of Axis forces. BRITISH AIM DESTRUCTION OF LAST NAZI TANK. SITUATION DISTINCTLY HOPEFUL. (Received This Day, 11.55 a.m.) LONDON, November 30. The situation in Libya is regardable'as distinctly hopeful and encouraging, said a military spokesman in Cairo. The Germans have failed to penetrate the British infantry positions on any front. The enemy’s entire remaining tank strength was launched in the latest attack, mentioned in today’s communique. These tanks are supported by armoured ’ cars and innumerable motor transport vehicles. Oui’ field guns and anti-tank guns bore the brunt of the attack until our armoured formations rushed up, charged the Axis flank and prevented their advance.

Our infantry attacks against infantry in the rear of the panzers are also mentioned in today’s communique as “quite successful.” The spokesman added: “We are sticking to the objective of hunting their tanks wherever they are, and until we have destroyed the last tank we won’t think of anything else.”