Evening star., 1941-11-27
British Relief Column Takes
Rezegh, Pushes On and Joins
Hands With Tobruk Garrison
Great Tonk-Infuntry
Bottle Spreading
East Into Egypt
BY EDWARD KENNEDY,
Associated Press War Correspondent

CAIRO. Nov. 27.-The seven
month siege of Tobruk, one OF
history'S most dramatic, ap-
peared ended today as the Brit
iSh command announced that q
relief column which had recap
tured the bloody battle-ground ol
Rezegh en- route had Joined
hands this morning with the
Tobruk garrison.
New Zealand forces supported by
tanks smashed northWard to meet 6
column from the conglomeratt
Tobruk defenders this morning, g
communique said.
CThe Tobruk force came out Of
its shelled and bombarded fortifi-
cations on November 18 when the
main British drive was launched
from the Egyptian borderD
The great tank and infantry bat
tie swirled through its 10th day
with both sides throwing in new
reserves. The main battle still ap-
parently was about Rezegh, 10 miles
south of Tobruk, but was spreading
far to the east into Egypt, where
the British fought to wipe out an
Axis column which drove across
the frontier yesterday.
British Win First Round.
British officers said the junction
with the Tobruk force meant the
British 9th Army had won the first
round, but they predicted heavy
fighting still to come.
They admitted that although
British advance elements had joined
hands there remained pockets of
Axis resistance between the main
British forces.
The main British objective, it was
stated. remained the destruction of
the Axis armed forces. and this was
being achieved steadily. Therefore,
the recapture of Rezegh was mini
miZed.
Official British Account.
Here is the official British account
of the relief of Tobruk:
During the night of November
25-6 New Zealand forces supported
by British tank formations recap
tured Rezegh and occupied Eir Bir
El Hamed in the face of heavy oppo-
sition.
Stiff fighting continued in that
area throughout yesterday and 1t
was not until early this morning
that elements Of the relieving forces
we're able to join hands at Ed Duda
with the British force from Tobruk
which yesterday captured that I'M
portant locality"
(Available maps do not show
Ed 'Duda. but evidently it lies
between Rezegh and TobrukD
British airmen ranged far to the
west. raining tons of bombs on Axis
forces moving toward the front.
While big bomber planes smashed
at the harbor of Bengasi other
planes loosed their loads on trans
port columns along the coastal road.
Skirt Gulf of Sirte.
Some of these were Sklrting the
Gulf of Sirte, 300 miles west OF the
Egyptian frontier, indicating that
the Axis was attempting desperately
to move supplies and men from
Tripolitania. western Libya, into the
Cirenaica battle area in the east.
Gn London an authoritative
source asserted that the junction
of the Tobruk garrison with the
empire forces would mean sub
stantial reinforcement OF the
British troops in the main battle
zone by tanks known to have
been in Tobruk.
Gn addition, this authority
said, if the connection is main
tanned "the port of Tobruk will
be available as a base of sup
plies for our field forces" which
now depend on a 2O0-mile COM
munications route across the
desert.
He said that during the siege
the British have been able not
only to reinforce and even relieve
the original Tobruk garrison but
also bring in tanks by the sea
route He would not give num-
bers)
1t was around Rezegh that the
most critical battle of the offensive
developed as British tanks clashed
with German forces. The town was
taken, lost and retaken again as
the heavy fighting sWayed along
the desert.
Hunting Enemy Raiders.
The British admitted that part
of the Axis raiding party, which
thrust across the Egyptian frontier
In the Sidi Omar sector, apparent
ly to divert British forces from
the main battle, still was operat-
ing on Egyptian soil. Said the COM
munique:
Meanwhile, British armored and
mechanical columns are hunting
the enemy raiding force which yes
terday broke up into a number
of parties circulating on both sides
of the frontier.
I'm various brushes our columns
NtSUSl loA 4lNC
end 80 other vehicles, while 300
prisoners, mostly Germans, were
captured.
"While this raid had certain
nuisance value it has not succeeded
In diverting us from our main OBJ
ect"-destruction of the main Axis
forces farther west.
r. A. F. Aids in Attacks.
The r. A. F. supported the land
forces by heavy attacks on German
and italian concentrations west of
Rezegh, where several tanks and
transport vehicles were destroyed,
the communique said.
(The British report of the cap
ture of Rezegh was in contrast to
the italian claims of success in
the Libyan fighting. The Italian
high command said Axis forces
have retaken Sidi Omar and re-
asserted that Bardia, which the
British claimed they captured on