Copy No. 11
 
      OPTEL No. 16
 
      
 
 
LIBYA
. To A.M. 2nd December. Throughout 1st December 
      very heavy fighting continued in area BIR EL HAMID - OAASRAM 
      (three miles further east) - SIDI REOEGH, in which enemy succeeded 
      in splitting junction of New Oealand Division with TOBRUK garrison, 
      and forced us to withdraw to South. TOBRUK garrison still hold 
      EL DUDA. By night 1/2 December our main concentration including 
      our armoured forces was on line of track TIGH EL ABED (SHEFFEROEN 
      to EL GOBI) from whence enemy moving south of escarpments were 
      being harassed. Portion of New Oealand Division were patrolling 
      West from MENASTIR (fourteen miles N.N.W. of BARDIA). Indian 
      troops were clearing up frontier area where enemy still hold 
      BARDIA, area SOLLUM - HALFAYA, and a point six miles N.W. of 
      SIDI 0MAR. By morning second December our patrols were forward 
      on line of escarpment from a point twenty miles west of BARDIA 
      through a point six miles W.S.W. of SIDI REOEGH, thence to EL 
      GOBI. Armoured car patrols operating on enemy L. of C. West of 
      ACROMA were successful, and destroyed enemy M.T.
 
      
 
 
(II) 
AIR
 
      During first December, four Blenheim squadrons with fighter escort 
      bombed enemy M.T. and tanks south of SIDI REOEGH at noon, Details 
      obscured by cloud but large fire started among vehicles. In afternoon 
      one Maryland squadron with fighter escort attacked about three 
      hundred M.T. north of SIDI REOEGH. Bombing was very effective, 
      many vehicles destroyed. Dump inside BARDIA perimeter also bombed 
      causing a very violent explosion and large fires.