CAB80-32 — Page 268

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Finally, the air situation is encouraging, for it appears that the Russian air force has now gained superiority on most of the front, particularly in the Moscow sector.

Operations.

Libya.

26. Last week's Résumé covered the period up to 2nd December. The Tobruk corridor had been cut and the bulk of our armoured and mobile forces had been withdrawn from the Sidi Rezegh area southward to the line of the Trigh el Abd to reorganise.

Throughout 3rd December, the move eastward of enemy mixed columns continued while an Italian force was reported to be digging in about El Gobi, evidently with the object of securing a footing on the left flank of our main armoured force. These enemy forces were continually and effectively engaged by our mobile columns, which contained both field and anti-tank artillery.

A New Zealand brigade fought a successful action against one of the enemy columns west of Menastir, killing 100 Germans, capturing 100 Italians and destroying 2 tanks.

Throughout this period, in spite of very bad weather, concentrations of enemy vehicles and columns on the move were continually bombed by the R.A.F.

General Auchinleck considered at this time that General Rommel may have been under the misapprehension that we had shot our bolt and that he was preparing to relieve his troops in the Halfaya area, before attempting to cut off our forces south of the Trigh el Abd. Plans were accordingly made to repeat the operation which had so nearly succeeded ten days before and again bring about the junction of our main armoured force with the Tobruk garrison, with the object of cutting off and ultimately destroying the remaining Axis armoured forces between Sidi Rezegh and the frontier. Owing, however, to the change in the enemy's plan three days later, this project was not destined to be carried out in its original form.

Operations on 4th and 5th December.

27. During the morning of 4th December the enemy attacked El Duda, the southern extremity of the Tobruk salient, from the West and South-East and were repulsed with heavy losses. In the afternoon the attack was renewed and the enemy succeeded in gaining a footing in the position, whence a counter-attack by infantry and "I" tanks failed to dislodge them.

In these

During the night, however, the lost ground was reoccupied and, by the morning of 5th December, the situation was completely restored. engagements, 15 of our infantry tanks were destroyed or damaged, of which some have been recovered, while the enemy undoubtedly lost very heavily. By this time over 2,500 prisoners taken in recent engagements were held at Tobruk, of whom about 40 per cent. were Germans. It was estimated that these would bring the total of prisoners taken during the campaign to 8,000.

Further South, an Indian infantry formation, in co-operation with cruiser tanks, attacked the Italian force which had been established at El Gobi. The enemy were driven out of their position with the loss of 15 tanks and 150 mechanical transport vehicles. Four hundred prisoners were taken and 55 thousand gallons of motor fuel destroyed. The enemy withdrew north- eastward but returned on the following day and launched an unsuccessful counter-attack against the position held by our infantry North of El Gobi.

Throughout the day, our mixed mobile columns and armoured cars were particularly active and successful in their operations against the enemy's forces on the Trigh-Capuzzo and in the Sidi Rezegh-El Adem area, where large numbers of troops and vehicles were being concentrated.

Operations on 6th December.

28. On the previous day General Rommel seems to have decided that our offensive power was greater than he had supposed. He therefore abandoned his plan to relieve his troops in the frontier area in favour of an attack upon the left of our main armoured force.

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