Evening star., 1941-11-28
English Troops
Push Westward
Along Coast

CAIRO, Nov. 28.-The British
Tobruk and Rezegh forces, con-
solidating their junction today
trapped large Axis forces to the
east which Immediately began ar
attempt to battle their way out
a British spokesman announced
here
Practically the entire Italian
Bologna Division was wiped out If
the action. the spokesman said.
Bitter fighting was in progress to-
day, it was said. as an Axis column
which had darted into Egypt two
davs ago as a diversion tried to gel
back to the Axis main forces.
They were headed for a British
wall, however, as the contact estab-
lished by the Tobruk forces yester-
day was strengthened into an effec-
tive line.
Joins With Other Forces.
This flying column on its retreat
westward was able to join with some
forces from the strong Axis forma-
tions under the Axis African COM
mander, Gen. Erwin Rommel. which
were entrenched along the Egyptian
Jibyan border southwark from
Halfaya tHellflre) Pass to Sidi Omar
when the British drive opened II
days ago.
However, it was said. most of the
forces were scattered by combined
British air and ground forces which
worked in unison to keep them
trapped and smash them into small
groups for easier annihilation
The British also we're pushing
westward from Tobruk farther along
the Mediterranean coast, heading
toward the strong Axis centers at
Gazala and Derna.
The British commander. 1t. Gen.
Sir Alan Cunningham, however, ap-
peared to be concentrating for the
moment on the big Axis armies
locked to the east of Tobruk.
Big Tank Encounter.
The biggest tank encounter Of yes
terday occurred in this sector as the
westvard-moving Axis troops ran
into the tank-toothed jaws of the
British trap.
The Axis column was shattered,
the British spokesman said, some
running northward toward Gambut,
which the British have recaptured.
and others southwark into the
void" Of the desert sands.
The spokesman, although stress
Ing that the British now had COM
pleted the junction with the Tobruk
garrison forces, which had been be-
sieged since April. nevertheless pre-
dicted more heavy fighting in the
Tobruk area.
To escape to the main Axis forces
the trapped Germans and Italians
would have to break the new British
uk-Rezegh connection.
II Is along this line the Royal
Navy hopes to pour men and equip
ment into the battle area from
Tobruk.
SUhtdth EStdDhsttVu.
British troops yesterday estab-
iished contact between the Tobruk
garrison and the main force at Ed
Duda, north of Rezegh, recaptured
by the British.
Striking westward. the British
were attempting today to clean out
Axis pockets. At the same time,
part of their forces remained be-
hind to ward off assaults on Ed
Duda.
Southeast Of Tobruk. British and
New Zealand forces which yesterday
made direct contact are forging
their way westward in the face of
determined opposition" the British
communique said.
AT the same time east OF their
point of junction enemy detach-
ments still in considerable strength
are being engaged.
Meanwhile, an enemy raldlne
column swelled by German elements
which had Joined it from defensive
positions between Halfaya and Sidi
Omar started yesterday morning to
move westward with the evident in
tention of trying to rejoin AXIS
forces engaged in battle west OF
Rezegh."
Northern Section Scattered.
The British were trying by all
means to forestall this westward
push which was being conducted
actually by two main bodies. The
northern Axis section was reported
to have been scattered yesterday
by an R. A. F. attack and two
hour tank battle south and south
east of Gambut.
II the Axis westward push is to
succeed the Ed da-Tobruk juno
tion point must be wiped out by
frontal assault, cut with a drive
somewhere between Ed Duda and
the coast or outflanked to the
south.
An eyewitness account of the bat
tie. near Ed Duda. said that in the