November 1941

North Africa

The 6th New Zealand Bde renews its attack in the morning and again captures Point 175.

At 1040 Rommel begins a reckless advance eastward along the Trigh el Abdh at the head of the 5th Panzer Regt followed by the rest of the 21st Panzer Div, the 15th Panzer Div and finally the Ariete Div. His intention is to crush the 2nd New Zealand and the 4th Indian Divs against his fronting positions which he estimates will take only 24 hours, 36 at the most, as told to his Chief Operations Officer Lt-Col Siegfried Westphal.

The Axis columns suffer heavy loss. The artillery of the 7th Support Group engages them from the north and the artillery of the 1st South African Bde from the south. Air Vice-Marshal Arthur Coningham's Hurricanes and Tomahawk join in. In the evening the Ariete Div is stopped in its tracks and the remaining 76 tanks of the Afrika Korps are scattered over miles of desert, with its commanders cut off from their troops in enemy held territory.