BULK OF ENEMY TANKS ENGAGED

Wairarapa Times-Age, 8 December 1941, Page 6

BULK OF ENEMY TANKS ENGAGED

Early Reports of British Success HEAVY TOLL TAKEN OF GERMANS DURING “LULL” i IN EXTENDED MOBILE OPERATIONS (By Telegraph—Press Association.—Copyright.) (Received This Day, 11.45 a.m.) LONDON, December 7. A military spokesman in Cairo stated that the bulk of tne remaining' German tank force was engaged in a. battle with British tanks northwards of Bir El Gobi. Early reports said the British appeared to be successful, but the full result of the heavy fighting was unknown. The spokesman added that German columns recently on the Capuzzo Road had now been withdrawn. „ , Cabling from the battle headquarters of the Eighth Army, a correspondent states that a toll has been exacted by our land and air forces from the enemy in the last three days.. The lu 1 has been only relative. British forces in this period have definitely destroyed 49 planes, mostly German, probably destroyed fourteen and damaged eight. They . have also destroyed about thirty tanks. Two medium batteries and five anti-tank guns have been captured, with 700 prisoners, 150 mechanised transport vehicles, fifty ammunition lorries, 45,000 gallons of petrol and 10,000 gallons of Diesel oil. We lost eighteen planes, but; most of the pilots are safe. Our ground casualties (in these operations) have not been heavy enough for the advanced forces to consider them worth reporting to headquarters.