WELL MAINTAINED

Wairarapa Times-Age, 24 December 1941, Page 3

WELL MAINTAINED

PRESSURE ON RETREATING ENEMY CAPTURES OF MEN & MATERIAL. BUT ATTENTION CONCENTRATED ON PURSUIT. (British Official Wireless.) (Received his Day, 10.30 a.m.) . RUGBY, December 23. Another daring raid by a British mobile column, in which 37 enemy aircraft were destroyed, is reported in a British Headquarters Cairo communique, which states: “Throughout yesterday, pressure upon the enemy holding positions covering Benghazi was steadily increased <by the arrival of reinforcements, while our mobile columns had reached the coastal plain of the Gulf of Sirte, south of Benghazi. “It is now reported that along the whole line of the enemy’s retreat west of Mekili the countryside is littered with .abandoned material.

“Many Germans and Italians have been overtaken by our pursuing troops, but with every attention concentrated upon the pursuit and destruction of enemy forces still in front of us, details of our captures are not yet available.

“Owing to extremely bad weather conditions, the operations of our air forces have been severely hampered. Nevertheless, transport moving southwest of Jedabaya was successfully attacked, many vehicles being destroyed and considerable casualties caused to the enemy. “During the night of December 21, one of our mobile columns carried out a daring raid on an advanced enemy landing ground at Jedabaya, destroying no less than 37 aircraft on the ground.”