The Waterbury Democrat., 1942-12-17
British Cut Off Weary Axis Troops Along Gulf of
 Sirte ENTIRE AFRICAN
 CAMPAIGN CHANGED ROmmeI May Be Unable to Get Any Sizeable Force
 to Tunisia
BY EDWARD W. BEATTIE

BY EDWARD w. BEATTIE United Press Staff CorrespOndentA
 London, December IT. . (UP) - The British Eighth Army, executing a brilliant flanking movement, has cut the retreating Afrika Korps in half about 60 miles west of Fl Agheila, and British experts said today that Marshal Erwin Rommel's forces were in the worst plight of any German Army since 1918.
 The blow fell on the weary, re treating Germans and Italians yes- terday at the little town of Wadi Matratin on the Gulf of Sirte. Ad- vanced units of General Sir Bernard L. Montgomery's Eighth Armys swinging around the German flank reached the town and then raced south to cut off the path of the enemy retreat.
 Part of the Afrika Korps struggled on toward Tripoli. The other part. including arnored units, was trap- ped in 20-miie area just east of Wadi Matratin and was fighting to break through the British lines.
 Casualties Are Heavy
 Enemy troops already have suf- fered heavy casualties and continue to be severely mauled," said Mid- dle Eastern Command communique in describing the action.
 (The German High Command communique did not copo'3de that part of the Afrika Korps was trap ped, but did admit that Rommel's forces continued their retreat west- ward.)
 Montgomery's thrust changed the entire picture in the opinion of British military experts. Before the flanking movement they were re- conciled to slow, slogging advance by the Eighth Army and were spec ulating on where Rommel would try to make stand between Fl Agh:ila and Tripoli.
 Today they were speculating on whether Rommel would be able to any sizeable portion of his troops get out of Libya and join forces with Col. .-Gen. Walther Nehring who commands an Axis force Gcfending northern Tunisia. There no long, CT was talk of Rommel attempting Q stand anywhere east of Tripoli.
 Maxi Prospects Bad
 Military experts, estimating Rom- mels prospects, said thcy were the worst of any German Army since the Allies smashed the western front in the World War. They pointed out that if the Eighth Army keeps thic trap clamped around the portion Of the Afrika Korps near Wadi Matrati. Rommel may be re- duced to 15,000 first line fighters. They will be under air attack and land pursuit on the road to Tripoli.
 Continuing their estimat: of the situation, the experts said Rommel lost about one-fifth of his arnov when the British broke through at Fl Alamein, more than month ago. Since then the road of retreat has been filtered with burned out Ger man tanks and vehicles and now af- other portion of Afrika Korps mech- anized equil 'snt has been trapped at Wadi Ma. ta Allied fighters and bomhers shortly will be estab- lished at base at Marble Arch, west of Fl Agheila, the British Navy and the RAF are blanketing tkse ap- breaches to Tripcli and the solid main force Of the eighth army is rolling across Tripolitania.
 Allies Job Based
 Military men said Montgomery's latest victory would ease the job of the Allied army in Tunisia. Had Rommel removed his Afrika Kosy@
 (Fyontts1,yad na pnUa Al