FURTHER ADVANCE

Evening Post, Volume CXXXIV, Issue 107, 2 November 1942, Page 5

FURTHER ADVANCE

Bth Army Renews Attecfc

General Montgomer^ssKghthiAriw has renewed its attacks: against the* Axis forces* i This news was given in todayfsscpmmwwiue from' Cairo. There have been few fi'e&hadetails atta^ttth* operations, though a corre§j*o^#nt in 6aij^) sp^ the advance was made theenight before! -lastt in ttife area that might generally beidescrifeed#s 4tm*egi<wii of the coast.

The Eighth; Army advanced i behind a terrific artillery barrage, and the correspondent says. that, since then .they, have held on to their new positions in spite r of;m l ore-than one enemy counter-attack. The communique says .that: a/iramber: of German prisoners were taken/and the correspondent- comment* that though, official, figures,: arc-not availably it. is. possibly ta say that1 during the., last few days the, number, .-.op prisoners has •moi'e.. than doubled.

"Tl- i«; hard ihpse days with what qu.ently- arriving, and in. some ; places it is naici, these da>s, witn, wnac eeil^my - mad |; local! g aps w hich.the news Aye have, had, says.the correr Germans^and Italians straightened,-out. spondent, "to appreciate the slow, Fighting stayed,.to.and,,fra ,oye£:im- :- -1.» cc m c,t i* poirtetnx ground..' ifi&» inrtisui &tv<jiCKs ative eftect orthese operations* attempted to gaps atibothVew^ which must of necessity form the first of ; the front so as to encircle the-Axii t. i. .i ■. - . ~"„,„« forces, but the British later concenphase—a phase that is not yet over. tra j ed , theij ., main at tack iri • the north. r nrr pc nrm ri Pn tc in -pvvnt «?av that Twice theyl attempted; to. landj near in *,gypt say, mat M&XSL Matruh hut they were frustroops back from ; the. front speak pf tra ted." '

the large number of enemy tanks they have seen lying about the battlefield completely burnt, out.

Another correspondent in Cairo speaks of the completely new way in which the attacking forces are using their tanks in. the. present fighting. They are up. against extensive enemy defence, with strong-points behind minefields, and the Axis, armour, is sheltering behind very powerful antitank gun screens. In previous desert campaigns the tanks have been sent in to'make way for, the infantry. Today General Montgomery is laying down the greatest artillery, barrage ever known in the Middle East, arid is then sending in picked infantry, supported by. an almost non-stop air bombardment of ' the Axis positions, and supply lines. It is not likely that there will : be any spectacular, news from the front line at this, stage, because the enemy defences are extremely strong and the job of reducing them, will be a fairly long one, but the correspondent says that the Eighth Army's, pressure is being applied relentlessly and-tmks are being held in readiness to exploit any large gap.in the enemy's, defences. One of the biggest factors, in, the fighting is. still the smashing, air support the Allied.troops.are.getting day and night; On Friday night bombers attacked targets in Crete and scoured the ,front line, while fighters -shot up railways and ammunition dumps behind the front line. •'

The Germans made four raids on forward, positions yesterday, but. most of them were broken up from, the air. At one time 20 stukas were attacked by fighter bombers, of the. R.A.F., and five of. the enemy planes were shot down. Altogether, 13. enemy, planes were destroyed during the day, and the R.A.F. lost five fighters.

A Cairo message says that a, bomber manned by Englisbbmen,an^ Canadians and; Australians, was peppered; "Hath debris when a bomb was dropped,on,a

munition dump from 5000 feet- above the battle; area-, last night. The-crew became, bored with the lack of obvious targets, in,. the- enemy, front line,- so they s dropped; flares and, then, a, stick of bombs,, after, which: there, was, a terrific explosion. „ The observe^,-- said that he had' dropped, hundreds of bombs, but had-never-previously;: beard them burst. He did sp this.;'tijhe>-i It was colossal. Then came a- noise, like a child; running a. stick alongr a., paling fence. It, was "fragments hitting:; the bottom of-; the plane. ' ■ V " During October the R.AX destroyed in the: air 275y enemy aircraft for the loss of 123 itself, according to a, Cairo message. The figure 0f.275- is exclusive of-planes. destroyed: on the grpiind, and also excludes probably twice, tljat number which were probably destroyed or damaged.