The Auckland Star: WITH WHICH ARE INCORPORATED The Evening News, Morning News, The Echo and The Sun THURSDAY, OCTOBER 29, 1942. THE CLASH IN EGYPT

Auckland Star, Volume LXXIII, Issue 256, 29 October 1942, Page 4

The Auckland Star: WITH WHICH ARE INCORPORATED The Evening News, Morning News, The Echo and The Sun THURSDAY, OCTOBER 29, 1942. THE CLASH IN EGYPT

Vv MA r f ' verv borly hopes will result from the battle in Egypt—a decisive f<t Rommel's army—has not yet come about. As at the ,hr ,ast campaign, late in May. there is taking place an '' struggle, in which the Eighth Army has made some 1 I '' i"t reducing the strength of the enemy's resistance. In " n Hommel attacked, this preliminary phase took about a week V; 1 "" Germans worked round Bir Hakeim in the south and 111 'i.K' Mini' c I cured two narrow passages through the mined belt u "' r week of indecisive tank fighting they joined up ' .irmu passages, and beat off a British counter-attack. It was 1 : fifteenth day after the offensive was launched, " '" I !- unn their great tank victory and paved the way for 111 lobruk and the long advance which was ended at El P1( - S( ' nt campaign the preliminary phase appears 1,111 alt hough the tank fighting did not reach a large ''"lie essential differences between the campaigns " 10 Army chose the time for the attack, !". "" lv:m,i| ces, not only of air superiority, which it had ,:n!rh s 'inrter lines of communication and supply. This Ul " hecomp '<?ss as Rommel is forced back, but in the IV( ' k ,antlal, and ' if thc Pre'iminary battle is prolonged, ,' i ! h ' " I" I ' of the fighting deal almost solelv with the frontal • |.. .. t,,n, p' , '/ «VJ C ? ,ioned to ' day - frcm an enemy source . 'V' hi 1 ;!" ! anded f r om . thp sea east of Mersa Matruh. ■ \! in in h - coiiect, for it would be natural that in an ■ in v\ 1 ii< h land and air forces are co-operating as never before ■ " n !' i hv made also of British naval strength. In this connection " , V'."'. raid on Tobruk will be remembered A blow ■■ • ■ I k it. he rear of Rommel's army might have consequences • ' " th< number of men needed to strike it. Meanwhile ;*T a ;; a,,Vely^ho A t front at EI Alamein. with cne end ' ; ,i h ( : <Hher , on the Qattara Depression, Rommel is not free •■ I- hi.-, favourite outflanking movements. He has however a , o!! 'r-nn'ri'lp,'■]' aj?paren^,no shorta «e of armoured force, and n<■ i .1. t< rn'iiffi 'i?,,'. a . rm -Y' hlcll wi " not be shattered except bv a Vv i ■ I , , -sustained effort. Such an effort is now in ore err ess ~ ' ' ' ! . tllls tirn f, skilful leadership and qualitv as well as licM* i!i'l .'■> \vrVl 1 deserved! avai,able to cnsure the success so lone with-