Evening star., 1941-12-02
Nozis Cut Through British Ring
To Rescue Force in East Libyo;
Capture Rezegh in Fierce Battle
Both Sides Prepare
For New Clash on
DesoIute Desert
o. the Associated Press,

ShAAso, bSJ ~, NV AAAN
Germans have succeeded in
Joining their two panzer divisions
In fierce fighting in the Libyan
desert by cutting through the
British corridor to Tobruk and
the British have lost Rezegh and
Bir Ell Hamed in the battle, the
British said today.
CThe success of a part of Ger
man Gen. Erwin Rommels ar
mored forces in driving through
the British lines from the west
probably means the combined
force now hemmed in along the
east of Tobruk can break the en-
circlement and escape again TO
the west If they wish to do So
an authoritative source said in
LondonD
A British spokesman here said
the joining of the 18th and 21st
Panzer Divisions had not in any way
impaired British confidence.
He said the link with Tobruk was
not broken despite the Axis thrust,
and the communicate declared the
British retained air superiority Tor
blasting Axis tanks.
Up-and-Down Fight.
"It may delay matters for few
DAYS longer" he added. 1T was
Just a down in an up-and-doWn
fight"
It could be termed local German
success, he said.
Both sides now were stated to be
reforming and regrouplng their
forces for another battle over the
desolute. rock-streWn desert. and
British reinforcements were said to
be reaching the field in a steady
stream.
Reports here said some of these
reinforcements were being landed
at Tobruk by the Royal Navy
London sources said the Brit
ish still appear to have numerl-
cal superiority in armoreo
forces" They said German
claims of destruction Of British
tanks were fantastic.
There was no evidence. the
sources added. that the combined
German force now could endanger
the empire forces engaged in wlp-
ing out Axis forces still resisting
in pockets along the Egyptian
Iibyan border, but it was admit
ted there still was no indication
that the Germans we're attempt
ing to drive westward out OF the
encirclementJ
Armored Reserves Thrown In.
Gen. Rommel apparently threw
all his arrnored reserves into the
balance. using the 18th Panzer Dl-
vision. which had suffered COM
paratively little in the previous
fighting. to hammer a way through
the British lines to remnants OF the
2lst Division in the east.
The British said that the cleanup
of the border region was continuing
and that Sidi Omar Nuovo. near
the Libvan coast. fell to two PunJao
battalions two days ago. Axis forces
stronelv intrenched there with ma
chine guns, anti-tank guns ana
nortars had held out since the cap
ture of nearby Sidi Omar on the
border. Four hundred prisoners
were taken after heavy shelllng
some of it at a range OF only oO
yards.
Junction between the two ele-
nents of the German Army was
made near Zaarran, about s miles
northeast of Rezegh, communlque
said.
Military quarters here said that
British forces north of Rezegh, be-
tween Ed Duda and the port OF To-
bruk. apparently still were holding
their ground.
Sheer Weight of Power.
The British said the German
breakthrough had been accom-
plished on a comparatively narrow
sector of the front. between Bir Ell
Hamed and Rezegh. with the Nazis
crashing through by the sheer
weight of concentrated power,
The r. A. F. was said to have
played a major role in the fighting.
knocking out many of the attacking
German armed vehicles
Prior to publication Of the COM
munique acknowledging that the
Germans had consolidated their
forces. reports reaching here from
the front said the British were pour
ing reinforcements into Tobruk by
sea in an effort to prevent just such
q development.
Casualties Declared Lighter.
These advices also said British
casualties thus far appeared to have
been lighter than was at first feared
though it was acknowledged that
New Zealand and Indian units
which have been taking a major
part in the fighting, had suffered
some hard knocks.
There was a general belief here
that the battle in the Tobruk-
Rezegh zone. composed OF innu-
merable fantastic clashes between
tanks and armored cars, was rap
Idly approaching decisive stage.
un Berlin a German spokes-
man said developments in North
Africa indicated definite turn
of events in a few days"
o mn Rrifisb Prisoners