ALAMEIN BATTLE

Greymouth Evening Star, 18 July 1942, Page 5

ALAMEIN BATTLE

DAYLONG TANK FIGHTING ISSUE NOT DECIDED LONDON, July 17. To-day’s Cairo communique says heavy fighting developed yesterday on the central sector of the Alamein front, the enemy continuing his efforts to dislodge Allied troops from theis Ruwaiak positions. Armoured forces of both sides were engaged m the morning. A number of enemy' tanks were knocked out. Allied losses are not yet known. Fighting was resumed in the eyening and continued into the night. The communique adds that fighting continued in the northern sector. In the southern sector the enemy withdrew slightly. Regarding Tel El Ester, it is believed that after exchanging hands several times, this hill is now in our possession. The Ruwisak ridge, which is situated about 12 miles from the coast, is about eight miles long, two to three miles wide, and runs to me west. It has been the scene of a German attach since the evening of Wednesday last. Fighting has been continuous, and the final result is not yet known. Both sides are using armour, artillery, and infantry, the last being engaged in battle on the ridge itself. Informed quaiters are of the opinion that the fighting is on a bigger scale than the attacks which have taken place recently. Dispatches from the Egyptian front state that a heavy tank battle was resumed early yesterday and raged throughout the day on the central sector of the Alamein front. Messages from Cairo state that the outcome is not known. Allied forces yesterday morning drove Marshal Rommel’s men from*>positions established in a small sector west of Tel el Ester, which the Axis forces won in costly night attacks. The enemy again attacked yesterday, and fighting moved backwards and forwards all day, with the Imperial forces believed to be still in possession. New Zealand and Indian infantry pushed a salient into the enemy’s lines in the central sector early on Wednesday, after which came a major tank battle, at present going on. AERIAL~SUCCESSES

RUGBY, July 16.

“ The Air Ministry News Service states: The strength of our air attack on the land forces in the Western Desert is everywhere increasing. Fighter bombers have pulvensgd many targets in the enemy mechanised forces. In one operation, two tanks and twelve trucks were destroyed, and two more tanks left unserviceable. Another attack destroyed a tank and considerable damage was done in a third operation. In this operation, pilots found two groups of tanks, of about fifteen each, clustering together, and placed bombs right in the centre of each group. Later, they also bombed a concentration of ten tanks and a large number of motor transport vehicles. Fourteen vehicles were destroyed in another group standing around a blockhouse, and there were many direct hits on other groups and one enemy gun positions. Enemy headquarters were also raided and forced to move to new positions, being attacked as they moved, a direct hit being scored on three trailers, including one which was well guarded. Light bombers scored this on motor transport and armoured cars. LARGE FIRES STARTED RUGBY, July 17. The employment of Allied aircraft in force in the Western Desert yesterday, to bomb enemy transport, resulted in fires and explosions all day long. One attack alone scored ten hits on vehicles, and others recorded many direct hits. Fighters intercepted enemy bombers and shot down four and probably others. Tobruk was raided on the night of July 15, and fires started lit up the whole waterfront. A large fire was started at Solium, and another was followed by a series of explosions at the El Gubbi landing ground. Targets near Oasba and El Baba were also attacked.

Naval aircraft were also engaged in the battle area.

From all these operations, nine aircraft have not returned.

TANKS ATTACK N.Z’ERS

RUGBY, July 17. Describing the armoured battle still being fought out south of Alamein, a correspondent, in a broadcast from the Egyptian front said: “Fighting began when the enemy used tanks to try to dislodge our infantry from the Ruwisak ridge. Our tanks came up to help the infantry. The enemy produced more, and so rapidly the amount of armour on each side increased that the action then developed from a local tank engagement into a general battle between tanks, with infantry and quantities of guns on each side. The area of activity is still at Ruweisak, although in desert tank fighting there is always a good deal of movement. Yesterday, even when the armoured battle was at its height, the enemy had not forgotten the original intention of clearing Ruweisak, and still attacked our troops there. Our attacks against Axis armour were twofold. General Grants and General Lees —the new American tank which differs from the General Grant only in its top turret, —British cruisers and heavy tanks have been operating among the dust and soft sand of the central sector. Combined air forces have been concentrating attacks on enemy armour from above. All reports to-day make it clear that fighting in the central sector, particularly about Ruewisak, was very fierce. The original attack on the ridge, made by New Zealanders and Indians, was a courageous and well-executed infantry operation. Although interference of enemy tanks forced the New Zealanders to pull back some way from the western end of the ridge ,it did not then dislodge them altogether. For the moment, all attention is focussed on the tank lighting, which for the enemy as well as us, is a most important operation.

N.Z. TANK UNIT LONDON, July 16. The Cairo correspondent of the Exchange Telegraph News Agency says: New Zealand troops on the southern sector of the El Alamein front have transformed part of their divisional cavalry into a tank unit, with which they are very happy. These tanks are four-men General Stewarts. These are fast, light American tanks, carrying one twopounder gun and three machine-guns. They are stated to be ideal for patrols and reconnaissance, at which the New Zealanders are supreme. They have had successful skirmishes with units of the German Ninetieth Light Armoured Division. The Allied left flank hereabouts is littered with derelict enemy guns and burnt out tanks, which were victims of deadly fire on the part of New Zealanders’ artillery and the R.A.F., of which the New Zealanders speak most highly. MANY PRISONERS TAKEN. [Official War Correspondent, N.Z.E.F.] CAIRO, July 17. Once again the New Zealanders were the spearhead of an Eighth Army attack. Once again with bayonet, Tommy Gun, Bren and grenade, they launched a large scale attack against the objective in the central sector, where the enemy was heavily j.rmed, with superior num-

bers. That was last Thursday night On grounds of security, it has not been possible till now to tell tne story of the gallant manner in which the New Zealanders took the vital ridge, in one of the largest and most fiercely launched infantry attacks of the desert war. Information about the New Zealanders’ action is so far scrappy. A New Zealand despatch rider who returned to Cairo in the early hours of this morning, said it is believed that the New Zealanders captured a substantial number of prisoners. Brigades which had already fought brilliant actions, when the New Zealanders first rejoined the Eighth Army, to assist in the battle for Egypt, were again in this week’s action. AUSTRALIAN DOCTORS (Recd. 11.50 a.m.) LONDON, July 17. The Associated Press correspondent in the Western Desert pays tribute to two Australian doctors at the most forward army field hospital, where English, Australian, New Zealand, Italian and German wounded are borne in, side by side, in a steady stream. In the afternoon and night of July 16 the Australian doctors were doing virtually all the work in a tented mobile surgery. They saved countless lives. The correspondent watched the doctors work. One of their marvels was on a lad shot through the thigh. The doctors said this type of wound caused numerous deaths in the last war, but although working with limited equipment, and often forced to improvise,-they were satisfied the patient would soon be walking again.

FRENCH FLEET

LONDON, July 17

Marshal Petain informed the American Charge d’Affaires in Vichy that any interference by Britain with the French fleet at Alexandria, would have extremely grave results. It was after this statement that President Roosevelt made his announcement that he had offered to keep the French warships in safe custody until after the war, when they would be restored to France. He added that Britain would be justified in ordering the ships through the Suez Canal, and if they refused to do so, to destroy them. Vichy stated that the American offer was not acceptable, and was an insult to the dignity of France. Following this, Mr. Roosevelt made his second offer to send the French ships to Martinique, where they would be immobilised in the same way as other French ships there. This proposal was also rejected by Vichy on the grounds that France wanted her warships in French ports. According to the Berlin radio, De Brison declared that if the French ships at Alexandria were compelled to defend themselves against the British, it was nossible that other French ships would come to their aid. GENERALRITCHIE. LONDON, July 17. General Ritchie has arrived in. London. ' The “Daily Express” says he will make a full report to the War Office on recent events in Libya and Egypt.