Evening star., 1941-11-29
GreatNewT ank Battle UNDERWAY
In Libya; Germans Withdrawing
AT Rostov> Halted Before Moscow
Axis Forces Seek
To Fight Way Out
Of British Trop
~ the hSSoclEted Press

~ the Associated Press.
CAIRO, Nov. 29.-Large Brit =
lsh and Axis forces have clashed
southeast of Rezegh and are
deadlocked in great new tank
battle of major Importance, the
British announced today.
The battle began Yesterday and
continued into the evening. the Brit
ish Middle East commands COM
munique said.
Presumably large Axis forces under
Gen. Erwin Rommel. trapped be-
tween Tobruk and the Egyptian
border, were struggling to fight their
way out. while British forces sur
rounding them were attempting to
smash them into smaller groups as
prelude to attempted annihilation
Bitter fighting" continues with
out either side having given or
gained ground" the British COM
muniQue said.
A British spokesman said the sit
uation was very satisfactory"
The trapped German panzer units
and the remains of the Italian Arietr
'Battering Ram division sue
ceeded in joining ranks in assem-
bling for their effort 10 break Cut,
the spokesman said
The Communique said that the
Axis had assembled their remain
ing tanks" for the effort.
Corridor of Contact Widened.
The bulletin added that British
and New Zealand forces we're gradu-
ally widening their corridor of con-
tact" established between the now
freed Tobruk garrison forces and
those which have fought their way
into Llbya from the east
Nearer the border the British
captured an AXIS stronghold north
of Bir eel Hamed described as i'm
portant, and took several hundred
Italian prisoners, the communique
stated
To the west, however. the Axis
troops which are predominantly
German continue TO offer stiff re-
sistance,' the bulletin said The
British fought on. it added, captur-
ing 79 field and medium guns along
with quantities of light anti-aircraft
and anti-tank artillery guns, ma
chine guns and small arms.
Struggle Described.
The cOmmunique described the
struggle OF the trapped German and
Italian troops to get out of their
big trap east of Tobruk as follows:
Southeast of Rezegh German and
Italian amored forces which had
been scattered and forced to with
draw eastward the previous day by
British armed forces re-asSembled
their remaining tanks during the
night of November 27-28.
Yesterday these Axis armored
forces once more moved westward, /.
where they again were heavily en-
gagged by our armored forces.
Yesterday evening bitter fighting /
was still continuing, without either .
side having given or gained ground"
The British Air Force was able
to take full advantage of opportu-
mites offered to attack enemy con-
centrations in cooperation with our
ground troops the communique
said
Bombing and Beauhghter ma
ehine-gun attacks" the statement
added, were particularly success
full against German and Italian
armored forces engaged in the tank
battle southeast of Rezegh."
In addition to this major engage
ment, New Zealand troops plunged
westward from Tobruk to stab
farther toward the Axis positions
along Libya's coastline
(Advices reaching London said
the artillery is thinning out" in
the Tobruk sector. 80 miles west
of Egypt, but it was uncertain
whether they were being with
drawn to the WeSt-indicatine
German retreat.
The Nazi high command con-
ceded that the British were push
ing toward Tobruk. but a Berlin
spokesman asserted that they
had not yet established contact
with the Tobruk garrison and
said Axis armored legions were
executing encirclement attacks on
British forces advancing from the
southeast.
Premier MuSsolini's high COM
nnand reported the "annihilation"
of British motorized brigade
along with the capture of more
.caa nnxrA q \