Evening star., 1942-11-15
Fleeing Axis Forces
Believed Unable 10
Make Stand in Libva
J Big Enemy Transport
Planes Are Shot Down
Flying Toward Sicily
" the Associated Press.

y the Associated Press.
CAIRO, Nov. 14.-British planes
from Malta destroyed seven large
transports from a formation of 60
enemy planes flying north toward
Sicily yesterday after heavily dam
aging the Tunis airport, while the
British 9Th Army chased and hacked
at the utterly routed enemy land
forces west of Gazala, 40 miles be-
yond Tobruk.
It. was not Immediately apparent
whether the enemy was trying to
rescue the remnants of the shat
tered African Army, or whether he
was reinforcing his elements In the
French protectorate of Tunisia
which other Anglo-American forces
were menacin9 from the west.
The communique did not say
whether the planes contained troops,
as did the transports shot down
earlier In the week. No formations
of Axis troops flying south have
been reported here, although AL
he'd headquarters in Algeria said
the Germans had landed light tanks
by air in Tunisia.
e Stand Believed Impossible.
The British desert victory was so
complete that Marshal Erwin Rom
mel was believed totally unable to
make a stand anywhere in the wide
but swiftly narrowing wise between
Gazala and Tunisia.
The victor, Gen. B. L. Mont
gomery, said II enemy divisions had
been beaten so thoroughly they
ceased to exist as effective fight
ing formations" and that the sur
viving Axis troops were completely
crippled" because of the vast de-
struction and capture of their ma
terial.
OF Marshal Rommel's 100000 front
liners, fewer than 10000 were be-
lieved to remain in the pell mel
flight toward Tripoh and Tunisia
beyond.
The British. with their supply
lines lengthening, moved their for
ward airfields swiftly into Libya and
continued to attack the foe re-
treating along the Mediterranean
west of Gazala United States
fighter -bombers and fighters Joined
the Raj in sweeps against the
ragged enemy. with good effect"
Prisoners Captured.
German prisoners were captured
at Tobruk and some native South
African troops we're rescued. They
were among the $4,000 lost in Mar
shall Rommel's last offensive in the
summer heat and they had been
forced to work on the docks. Their
number was not disclosed.
Among the planes shot from the
enemy aerial armada winging to-
ward the big italian bases on Sicily
were five huge Junkers So trans
ports and an obsolete S-sl plus a
flying boat. At least six others were
badly damaged.
Although air activity over the
desert was reduced because of the
problem of moving bases forward,
long-range planes from Malta again
attacked the Aouina Airdrome at
Tunis twice Thursday night with
bombs and machine-gun fire.
Two fuel dumps were exploded.
hangers and grounded aircraft were
destroyed. Heavy damage appar-
emily was inflicted on workshops
One violent explosion was followed
by flames 1000 feet high. Only
light ground fire was encountered
by the raiders.
Large Fires at Derna.
Allied planes noted large fires at
Derna, 100 miles west of Gazala, in
dicating Axis demolition squads were
at work preparing an evacuation
without fight
AS the Axis army fied as best It
could by land, some of the surviv-
ors were spotted on laden barges
mile or two at sea moving west
and British and South African n.y.
ers riddled the barges with gunfire
setting one afire which had 15C
troops on board.
Medium and heavy bombers at
tackled targets in the Derna ares
and west of the town as far a,
Cirene. In all their operations thu
Allies lost only three planes.
1t was evident that the victoriou,
men OF Gen. Montgomery were de.
termined to let not one Garmar
or italian escape.