Rommel╒s desert army is in full retreat and his ╥disordered columns╙ are being relentlessly attacked by Allied land and air forces.
This great news was given late last night in a special communique from British G.H.Q. in Egypt. Following is the text:╤
The Axis forces in the Western Desert, after twelve 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 Forces 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 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 have 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.
The ╥pocket╙ created west of Tel el Eisa by the Australians in their sweep to the coast at the week-end has now been completely overrun.
