COMBINED ATTACK

Wairarapa Times-Age, 5 January 1942, Page 3

COMBINED ATTACK

ALL SERVICES ENGAGED INCLUDING NEW ZEALAND CAVALRY REGIMENT. UNCONDITIONAL ENEMY SURRENDER. (By Telegraph—Press Association—Copyright) LONDON. January 3. Amongst the Axis prisoners taken in Bardia is Major-General Schmidt, chief administrative staff officer of the panzer division. Six hundred and thirty-two New Zealanders are among the British prisoners released. The losses in Empire troops in the attack were 60 killed and 300 wounded. Major-General Schmidt is the fourth German general to become a casualty in Libya. In addition to General von Ravenstein, the graves of MajorGenerals Neumannsilkow and Suemmermann were found at Derna.

How Empire forces captured Bardia is told in today’s Cairo communique, which states that during the night of January 1-2, units cf the First and Second South African divisions carried at the point of the bayonet, strong defended localities held by the enemy covering the town of Bardia. The units actually engaged in this dashing attack were the South African Police, Kaffir Rifles, and Royal Durban Light _ Infantry, closely supported by British tanks and medium artillery, and by a New Zealand cavalry regiment, which was a mechanised formation under Colonel Nicoll. Rather than face a repetition of this bold and skilfully organised attack, the enemy decided to surrender unconditionally. NAVAL & AIR SUPPORT. The whole operation was magnificently supported by British ships, which heavily bombarded enemy concentrations and artillery positions on the forward area, and also engaged with equal force many objectives ■in the rear of the enemy’s main defences. By continuous activity in most inclement weather - conditions, our airforces also made an invaluable contribution to the success of the operations. An estimate of the material which has fallen into our hands is not yet available, but due to the speed of our advance the enemy was unable to carry cut any substantial demolitions. Enemy losses apart from prisoners are not yet known.

In the Jedabaya area our mobile columns of ah arms continue to harass the main concentration of the enemy; In one engagement a German column, including armoured cars and artillery, was forced to withdraw with the loss of some vehicles and two anti-tank guns. Also in our hands are 45 German prisoners, including three officers. Another 10 enemy tanks abandoned in good condition have been found during the clearance of the Cyrenaican battlefields.

Over the whole area of operations our air forces continued their activities, attacking with marked success enemy concentrations at and aboiyt Jedabaya, and inflicting considerable damage on targets along the main enemy supply lines, both by land and sea.