Rommel's army in full retreat

Rommel's army in full retreat

Headlines: Rommel's army in full retreat, 9000 prisoners taken, relentless attacks on disorderly columns, commander if Afrika Korps captured. 12 nights and days of attacks by allied forces, General von Stumme captured. 260 German and Italian tanks and 270 guns captured or destroyed, over 300 axis aircraft destroyed or put out of action. 8th Army continues advance.

One newspaper cutting mounted on a scrapbook page

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THE TIMES THURSDAY NOVEMBER 5 1942

ROMMEL’S ARMY IN FULL RETREAT

9,000 PRISONERS TAKEN

RELENTLESS ATTACKS ON DISORDERED COLUMNS

COMMANDER OF AFRIKA KORPS CAPTURED

British Headquarters in Cairo issued at 10 o’clock last night the following special joint war report:

The Axis forces in the Western Desert, after 12 days and nights of ceaseless attacks by our land and air forces, are now in full retreat.

Their disordered columns are being relentlessly attacked by our land forces, and by the allied air force by day and night.

General von Stumme, a senior general, who is said to have been in command during Rommel’s absence in Germany, is known to have been killed.

So far we have captured over 9,000 prisoners, including General Ritter von Thoma, commander of the German Afrika Korps, and a number of other senior German and Italian officers.

It is known that the enemy’s losses in killed and wounded have been exceptionally high.

Up to date we have destroyed more than 260 German and Italian tanks, and captured or destroyed at least 270 guns. The full toll of the booty cannot be assessed at this stage of the operation.

In the course of these operations our air forces, whose losses have been light, have destroyed and damaged in air combat over 300 aircraft and destroyed or put out of action a like number on the ground.

At sea our naval and air forces have sunk 50,000 tons and damaged as much again of shipping carrying Axis supplies to North Africa.

The Eighth Army continues to advance.