The Waterbury Democrat., 1941-11-24

breath eS Atremem tOuBns 70 c0n" fine Che blaze to Che two burn. ing structures. When Chief Cav. anaugh finally announced that the fire was under control, they sighed with relief.
 full bombing and machine gun at- tacks on enemy armored forces and mechanical transport concentratio' in the battle area"
 Cost Axis Plenty
 Already the six day battle was reported to have cost the 1talo- German Africa corps about l6,O0C prisoners and more than 200 tanks estimated to be half of the are mored machines available to RoEn- mel.
 Tn the air, the Axis he'd lost 7e machines at last count while at sea the Royal Air Force and east- ern Mediterranean fleet, guarding the sea path against reinforcements from Europe, reported the torpedo- ing of at least two cruisers and one destroyer.
 One of these cruisers and the de- stroyer were believed sunk. In ad. dition, two transports were tor pedoed and believed sunk and arl- other ship or ships were hit by bombs.
 Despite the narrow corridor be- tween the Imperial forces at To- bruk and the British force which has driven up from Rezegh, the escape Of large groups of Rommerl forces appeared impossible.
 Four Axis forces already have been ringed by the troops of Brit aims eighth army. The first was q ahtA. one division and an uncertain force of Italian infantry, probably number of German tanks in the Solum- -Halfaya area which was re- ported completely isolated" by hard fighting Australian troops which had recaptured Bardia and Fort Capuzzo.
 The second was a mixed force oi Germans and Italians at Gambut a few miles up the coast from Bardia. The third was @ German force in the vicinity of Bir Fl Gobi 40 miles southwest of Rezegh anc the fourth was the Italo- German force which has been besieging To- bruk.
 Main Battle Raging
 The main battle of the campaign was raging between Rezegh and To bruk where the reinforced defend CTS of Tobruk were driving soutt against fierce opposition and thu main British armored force wa pounding north. The two British lines were so close that they helC the Corridor constantly under dr. tillery fire at easy range. However, because of the mobility of desert fighting the British ad' mitted there was no certainty tha the escape of the German armoreC units could be prevented. The Brit ish were striving desperately t force a decision in this battle 1T the belief that if the main Nag tank force can be knocked out, th' big fighting of the desert campaign will be over.
 It was admitted that the Brit. ish are suffering losses describe: as fairly severe" and that thu Nazis are fighting for all they arr worth. The Italians, however, seemed to have little heart for the battle An Italian armored division, hal its tanks knocked out in an initia encounter with the British, wal standing by, taking little or nC port in the fighting.
 The NaZiS were rushing supplies and endorsements up from theil rear bases as far distant as Tripol and from their bases in Crete. These supplies were being brought in b, fleets of JU 52 transports pulling trains of gliders.
 Crack Maxi Planes Rushed
 Squadrons of crack German fight CT planes made their appearance IT considerable numbers and for the first time challenged the RAF's dofinance of the battle skies
 (The MEl09F is the latest model Messersehmitt fighter. It is cap. able of fighting the best British planes on even terms and probably is more than a match for any sec- ond-string fighters being used by the British in the African offen- Sive.)
 However, the British appeared tc have the upper hand in the battle of supplies.
 Despite the stiffened resistance British general headquarters char acterlzed the situation as "on the whole good" but warned against understanding the job of clean- ing up the Nazi forces still in ac- ton.
 It was admitted that the British have suffered considerable losses in the fighting between Tobruk and Rezegh. partly due to fierce Nazi opposition and partly to thickly sown mine fields.
 The main body of German for- ward troops, 1t was reported, has been concentrated east of Fl Adem and south of Tohruk. The Italians armored division was said to be about 30 miles west of Fl Aderi and slightly south of Tobruk where 1t was reforming, possibly to screen Q German withdrawal from slle lines around Tobrfsk,