SLOW MOVEMENT

Evening Post, Volume CXXXIV, Issue 106, 31 October 1942, Page 7

SLOW MOVEMENT

DEVELOPMENT OF BATTLE UNCERTAIN

(By Telegraph—Press Association—Copyright.) (Rec. 12.30 p.m.) LONDON, Oct. 30.

"Tank activity has been slight since the clash on October 27, when the German losses were much heavier than ours," says the Cairo correspondent of the "Daily Mail." "The battle at present is one of slow movement. It may develop swiftly, but on the contrary it may be several days before there is any considerable change." A German High Command spokesman claims that the British tanks which penetrated the German line yesterday were cut off from the following New Zealand infantry, and that 30 tanks were destroyed by 88----millimetre guns. German infantry, he said, took prisoner many New Zealanders, despite the intervention of British and American air forces. The Axis radio stations this afternoon reported big attacks by the Eighth Army in Egypt. Rome radio declared that the British last night launched a big attack in the coastal sector, with successive waves, of troops, supported by tanks. "All attempts to break through," it was stated, "were frustrated by our withering fire." Berlin radio "The British were - defeated in attempts to enlarge their local break-through in the northern sector of the Alamein front. The British are also attempting to break through in the central and southern ■sectors." A Cairo message says that the Allies have consolidated all the ground taken since- the offensive began, including ground' gained on the night of October 28. Despite a slight increase in Axis air activity. United States fighters and medium bombers yesterday did not engage a single Axis fighter. The Americans were attacking Axis positiofis, tanks, motor convoys, and other targets. They scored many direct hits. . The high spot of yesterday's air activity was a raid by R.A.F. fighters on Mersa Matruh. The fighters swept in from the sea. A German officer in an open car stood up and. drew his revolver. A hail of lead from the leading fighter knocked him backwards. . The fighters swept on and raked the landing ground and then shot up a train in the railway station and other targets around the station. The air officer commanding in the Western Desert sent the following message to the light bombers: : "Please congratulate our squadrons. They are hitting the enemy hard. The army is appreciative." ENCOURAGING FEATURES. "There are encouraging features about the development of the battle so far," says the Western Desert correspondent of the "Daily Telegraph." "We have bitten deeply into Rommel's position. Our advance is slow, but' it could not 'be otherwise. We was not permitted to. mention the number of Axis tanks destroyed, but the eneniy lost more tanks, on Tuesday than on any previous day. The proportion of heavy tanks lost is also higher."

The commander of a British armoured unit, which has been in. the thick' of things since the offensive opened states that Axis losses on his

front are comparatively heavy.. The British : are able to recover a large proportion of their knocked-out tanks. Many suffered damage to the tracks only, and were mostly in action again. 12 hours after they : were, damaged.