Evening star., 1942-11-07
100 900 Rommel Troops Seized
Or Trapped in Desert Retreat;
British Sweep on Beyond Matruh
Only 10000 Men
Left; $50 Tanks
Are Captured
BY the Associated Press.

By the Associated Press.
CAIRO, Nov. with 100000
Of Marshal Erwin Rommel's total
of some 100000 desert troops
captured or trapped and his tank
strength grievously crippled, the
British chase of the broken and
tattered Axis forces swept on to-
day past Matruh, Egyptian port
almost halfway to the Libyan
border from the starting point
of the Allied drive.
The headlong flight of the once
proud Axis Africa Corps continued
at rapid clip, the British reported
in a communique which listed 10000
Germans ana Italians already cap
tured along with $50 tanks seized in
addition to hundreds OF others
knocked out, and 400 guns and un-
counted thousands of vehicles in the
hands of the Army of the Nile.
Far behind and mostly inland
from the coastal road were six
italian divisions left in the lurch
when Marshal Rommel pulled stakes
on the Ell Alamein front. Musso-
iini's abandoned men, in bad way
without food and water, were re-
ported waiting meekly to be picked
up when the British could get
around to them.
Among the beleaguered Italians
were the Bologna Division, which
was in the southern sector OF the
, Ell Alamein front, and the Trieste
Division in the north, both 1nclud-
Ing some of Italy's choicest troops.
Attempt Stand at Fuka.
Today's British war bulletin said
the Axis remnants attempted
stand at Fuka, about 81 miles west
of Ell Alamein, but was crushed and
from there the main body OF
Marshal Rommels forces was pushed
on beyond Matruh.
At Fuka, the Axis forces tried IN
vain to take advantage Of an es-
carpment which afforded some
degree of natural defenses, but Wig
orous attacks by British armor
nullified their feeble effort.
The figures given officially on
Axis losses in manpower were con-
sidered here to be extremely con-
servative and estimates on how
much manpower Marshal Rommel
had left were lacking, but In the
words of one military commentator
'the has very little"
Earlier front dispatches that the
Bth Army already was fighting IN
the Matruh region were supported
by the communique, which dis
closed that low-hying Allied air
craft was pounding the enemy at
a point west of Matruh." 1t was
not considered likely that the Allied
air forces would waste ammunition
on anything but the main body OF
Marshal Ronlmels dwindling forces.
Matruh is 104 miles west OF Ell
Alamein, where the great push
started.
One-Seventh of Manpower.
The 10000 prisoners already ac-
counted for represent at least one
seventh of Marshal Rommels total
manpower of perhaps 100000 IN the
desert, it was believed. There was
no mention of dead, wounded and
amounted prisoners.
The capture of $50 tanks and
many thousands of vehicles" was
Gripping blow to the Axis army.
Many of the italian troops were re-
ported stranded simply for the lack
Of transportation as Marshal Rom
mel apparently piled his German
troops into available trucks and
headed for Libya.
y, It was these riding troops who
we're being blasted off the roads OF
Eevpt and scattered, dead and
wounded, along the bordering desert
sands.
At the highest estimate of Marshal
Rommel's armored force, the $50
captured tanks represented loss
Of one-third of his striking force.
Some estimates of his original force
placed his tank strength at 500 We
hicles.
n Axis Ports Attacked.
r While the pursuit continued,
heavy bombers carried out attacks
IN Bengasi and Tobruk, ports of sup
DIV for the tattered Axis army. At
Bengasi, hits were made on a tanker
and at Tobruk merchant ship was
hit, the communique said.
10 There was no sign of Axis air &C
k{vitx, II Uac rnnOrtad
Allied forces in the immediate
battle area were estimated by Brit