The Waterbury Democrat., 1942-11-20
II Tanks Knocked On1 Near Bizerte, 28 More
 at Gulf of Sirte ROMMEL MAY TRY
 STAND AT FL AGHEILK Allies Plan to Speed Up Drive in Both Directions
 in North Africa
BY EDWARD w. BEATTTE

b1 EDWAhD w. BEAITKE United Press Staff COrrespondentn
 London, November 20. (UP)-Allied forces inflicted heavy losses today on the in ferior Axis armored strength in Africa, driving deeper into Tunisia and racing forward in Libya where the Nazis ad- mitted the evacuation of Benghazi. Axis tank losses were so heavy - relative to the dwindling armored forces still available to Marshal Erwin Rommel - that they were expected to handicap sharply his chances of making an extended stand either in Tunisia or Tripolitania.
 American, British and French troops moving on Bizerte knocked out at least II tanks of the forcoI hastily ferried across the Sicily straits by the Nazi high commando
 The British 9th army destroyed another 28 in break through battle5 toward the Gulf of Sirte. SincG Rommel had managed to extricatd only Is of his tanks fro mthe rouN at Fl Alamein, these losses cu6 deeply into the small armored re- serves available in rear repair shops or brought in by transport from Italy.
 British In Benghaxi
 The German admission that Bengl haZi had been evacuated after ded struction of military equipment and faculties hade it likely that ttl@ capital of Syrenaica had once more been occupied by the British-al- though an official report to thin effect had not yet been relayed bY Cairo.
 It was expected that Rommel win try to stand at Fl Agheila if ha had enough troops and equipment to make battle there something more than a forlorn hope. However, he has been pushed back so fast that some experts believed he might with. draw into Tripolitania to accumulata additional reserves and afford time for shipment of more troops, tanks and ammunition across the Mediter~ ranean.
 In any event the Allied trap was rapidly closing on the Axis com- mander, once known as the Fox oN the Desert.
 Driven Back 50 Miles N
 It meant that the Brithr 9th army under Gen. Sir Bernard Montgom- cry, only a few weeks ago facing n uphill fight for Alexandria and the Suez canal, had driven the Afrika Korps of Field Marshal Erwin Rom. mel and the big Italian Libyan army more than 500 miles to the west, toward the trap being closed in by the British-American army under Lieut.. Gen. Kenneth A. N. Ander~ son.
 Germany said Benghazi had been evacuated according to plan," and that all installations and roads ini the area had been dynamlted.
 There was no intimation whether Rommel would try to make a stand aO GA TASLlCAAa, ATu lAAA4Co 0CyQkkA Benghazi and ATS miles from Tu-i nisia.
 But a British communique re- vealed today that the 9th army had delivered shattering blow to his chances by taking or destroying 28 of his pitiful handful of tanks, 26 priceless guns and 250 motor vehiclem northeast of Benghazi.
 Gen. Thoma in England
 It was announced here that Gen. George Ritter Won Thonsa, Rommel's second in command who was cap- tured early in the British drive, had been brought to England.
 Thoma arrived in London lasA night on his way to an officers internment camp.
 Allied headquarters here con- firmed that in the first big clash between Allied and Axis forces in Tunisia the Allies had destroyed II German tanks.
 It was assumed that this was the fight mentioned earlier by radio Morocco. which forced the retreat of the Germans before the American
 fFHax, &&,.,.aS a,. na-a A