ROMMEL’S AIM

Wairarapa Times-Age, 10 December 1941, Page 6

ROMMEL’S AIM

AVOIDANCE OF FULL-SCALE BATTLE SIGNS OF A GRADUAL WITHDRAWAL. THE ENEMY’S AIR LOSSES. LONDON, December 9. In a series of running fights in the area spreading for 35 miles southward and south-westward of Tobruk the main German tank forces appear to be gradually withdrawing, reports the Reuter correspondent with the Eighth Army. Our tanks and guns in various inconclusive engagements on Sunday knocked out or damaged over a dozen German tanks and are now gradually pushing the enemy back westward and north-westward of a line between El Adem and El Gubi. General Rommel appears to be trying to avoid the almost inevitable, fierce, full-scale battle which would be decisive. One of our patrols found 29 damaged Messerschmitts abandoned on the Gambut landing ground. This represents a serious loss to the Luftwaffe whose tactics last week demonstrated its anxiety to conserve its remaining fast fighters. RAID WARNING SOUNDED IN SAN FRANCISCO. (By Telegraph—Press Association —Copyright) (Received This Day, 1.30 p.m.) SAN FRANCISCO, December 9. The police broadcast a warning at 11.59 a.m. today that enemy planes were approaching from the sea. The all clear was flashed nine minutes later. AIR ACTIVITY MUCH DAMAGE TO ENEMY TRANSPORT. (British Official Wireless.) (Received This Day, 11.20 a.m.) RUGBY, December 9. A R.A.F. Middle East communique states: “Fighter aircraft made a series of flying attacks on traffic moving along the Barce-Derna, Agedabia-Agh-eila and Marau-Afaida roads, damaging many lorries and other vehicles. “Aircraft on the landing ground at Agedabia were hit by machine-gun fire. “In a conflict over the battle area, one Macchi 200 and one Messerschmitt 109 were destroyed. “During Sunday night, the aerodrome at Castel Benito and Tripoli were raided by our bombers. At Castel Benito a hangar was set on fire. “From these and other operations three of our planes are missing.”

KEEN SATISFACTION RESCUE OF WOUNDED NEW ZEALANDERS. LIBYAN DRESSING STATION RECAPTURED. (By Telegraph—Press Association.) WELLINGTON, This Day. The Prime Minister, Mr Fraser, this morning expressed keen satisfaction at receipt of news from the Middle East confirming the news of the safety of Lieutenant-Colonels Dittmer and Kippenberger and the rescue of seven hundred wounded New Zealanders and a number of medical personnel, with the recapture of the main dressing station in the Sidi Rezegh area. NEW ZEALAND WOUNDED GALLANT RESCUE EFFORT. RECOVERY OF CLEARING ' STATION. (Received This Day, 10.35 a.m.) LONDON, December 9. A New Zealand colonel led a force Which gallantly rescued the wounded New Zealanders stranded in an ad- j vanced casualty clearing station near j Sidi Rezegh. The force located the , station in bright moonlight and successfully evacuated 300 severely .injured men. Five hundred others were able to walk. LIVED ON SNAILS NEW ZEALAND AIR OBSERVER. HUNDRED MILES COVERED / ON FOOT. (Received This Day, 12.15 p.m.) LONDON, December 9. A New Zealander, a sergeant observer aged twenty, of Kakahi, sustained himself on snails for six days while he was walking 100 miles to his base, after bailing out in the Western Desert. His plane was raiding enemy concentrations when a Messerschmitt pttacked. The observer, a gunner and a pilot baled out and landed within a few yards of one another. The pilot and gunner, being wounded, were unable to walk and both were taken prisoner. The observer, aided by a pocket compass, walked by day and hid by night until he was found by a South African medical officer. The observer had no food or water arid suffered so severely from thirst and hunger that he ate snails and is none the worse for his experience. He wanted to go«out on another raid as soon as he had eaten and rested.