BEATEN BACK

Wairarapa Times-Age, 2 December 1941, Page 5

BEATEN BACK

AXIS PANZER DIVISIONS IN LIBYA

ABORTIVE EFFORT TO SMASH THROUGH BRITISH CORRIDOR

TERRIFIC FIGHTING BRITISH DEFENCES PENETRATED But Position Re-established 1- — « ITALIAN TANK DIVISION LOSES HALF ITS STRENGTH MAIN AREAS OF CONFLICT DEFINED LONDON, December 1. In Libya terrific fighting is still going oij round Sidi following on a British counterstroke in which German panze forces that had penetrated our defences were flung bac “- The latest news from the Western Desert is of a British counter-attack which re-established our position at Sidi Rezegn after German tank forces had penetrated our defences An Italian tank division has suffered another severe mauling fron our forces. It attacked our positions in support of one of the German thrusts. . After 13 days of swirling and shifting desert battles, the fighting in Libya has resolved itself into three main areas. A Cairo communique shows that the main front is still south-east of Tobruk. Secondly there is another fighting area along the frontier from Halfaya to positions north of Sidi Omar. The third zone is in the south-west —the Jalo area. South-east of Tobruk the panzer forces of General Rommel yesterday made a desperate attempt to smash their way through the British corridor. They succeeded in penetrating the defences, but our forces counter-attacked, drove out the Germans, and re-established our front. It is thought probable that German infantry taking part in these operations had been brought up in lorries some days ago. Our'forces destroyed half the tanks of an Italian armoured division. Survivors of this force are being pursued by British mobile units.