ONLY A SKIRMISH

Evening Post, Volume CXXXIV, Issue 105, 30 October 1942, Page 5

ONLY A SKIRMISH

TUESDAY'S ARMOURED CLASH

(Rec, 10 a.m.) LONDON,. Oct. 29

It is stated in London that Tuesday's armoured clash probably did not involve more than a small proportion of the full armoured strength on either side. In comparison with the previous Libyan tank.battles, it could only rank as a skirmish, but it may well have been a curtain-raiser for a much bigger armoured battle.

Today's Italian communique says: "Violent battles which have been going on for several days on the Alamein front continued yesterday, with powerful British attacks against Axis forces, which offered bitter resistance. We destroyed several dozen tanks. Formations of Liberator bombers raided the port of Navarino."

A German communique states: "The fighting in Egypt increased in bitterness on the fifth day of" the defensive battle. Despite very heavy attacks and the use of an unusually great amount of ammunition, the British were unable to gain successes. We captured several hundred prisoners." The German news agency reports that British forces succeeded in making slight penetrations along the railway line between Alexandria and Mersa Matruh, but that the wedge has been sealed off and is now under murderous artillery fire from German bat* teries pounding in from the flank.