desert struggle

Auckland Star, Volume LXXIII, Issue 254, 27 October 1942, Page 3

desert struggle

Eighth Army Holds All Gains Against Counter Blows

(United Press Association.—Copyright.— R ec . 1 p. m .) tu i . 1 LONDON, October 26. he third day of the Western Desert battle saw no further Zftth'A 6h l ° Ur trO ° PS - The Times correspond with the Bth Army says the enemy's defences were probed at Various po.nts and small pockets of opposition mopped up Broadly speaking our troops were endeavouring to gain room for the armoured force to deploy.

Un Hard TT concentrati °n so far showed Im. A -TU *° f - tHe a " rition ty P e ma y be expected for some days. The enemy s positions have been deeply penetrated hut .t may be some time before the gains can be fully explo ted and a way made for the armoured columns to operate in he open unhampered by minefields. The Axis defensive positions arc elaborate and will have to be overcome by hard fighting, in which we certain y count on stronger air support than the enemy, and also probably more ample reserves of men and material. If the strafing of Axis communication lines in the last two months has prevented the enemy building up reserves the British Command can hope to surmount the obvious difficulties of the tactical position and the strength of the defences by simply pounding until the enemy can stand no more because of shortage of supplies. Other sources state that English. American. Australian and South African airmen are maintaining a non-stop air offensive, bmoke from innumerable fires is rising from the battle area and also from the enemy rear, where trucks and ammunition dumps have been destroyed. Enemy Air Activity Increased The enemy's air activity increased markedly yesterday. The Italians and Germans also maintained heavy aud accurate ack-ack fire, but the Allied airmen lost only three planes over the battle Area while shooting down at least seven enemy planes. Cabling from the desert on Monday, Robert McMillan, the British United Press correspondent with the Bth Army, said the second round of the great desert battle had begun. The Bth Army in the first day s fighting gouged a wide gap in the enemy's lines and went in on Sunday night to deliver the second hammer blow. Like the first, this attack began with a barrage .which started at 10 p.m., on a scale reminiscent of the heavy barrages of the Western Front in the last war. Tanks armed with hardguns were poured into the gap, where they engaged the enemy s armour, although so far Rommel had used only medium groups of tanks. Rommel's Defence Works Severely Damaged In the past 24 hours Rommel's carefully organised defence works were severely damaged by the 5 Ist Division and also by the Australian, New Zealand and other British troops, backed up by the South Africans and Indians. Infantry attacks were also launched last night between the Meteiriya and Ruweisat ridges. What had happened so far was that the Allies had made a break into the enemy's lines. It was now a task for the tanks to make the job perfect with a clear break-through. The British United Press correspondent in Cairo reports that long-range fighters which yesterday intercepted heavily-protected troop-carrying Junkers going southward to Libya immediately attacked and shot down four and damaged others. Three United States Air Corps fighter pilots shot down four of the enemy fighters destroyed over the battle area yesterday. American bombers and fighter bombers are also participating fully in the air operations against enemy ground targets.