INCREASED ACTIVITY

Nelson Evening Mail, Volume 77, 12 August 1942, Page 5

INCREASED ACTIVITY

ARTILLERY AND AIR FORCE THE EGYPTIAN FRONT U.S. ARMOURED UNITS READY London, Aug. 10. The lull in land fighting in Egypt continues but increased artillery activity points to a renewal of large scale artillery action. The air war has livened up. Field-Marshal Rommel has thrown in fresh fighter reinforcements and the R.A.F. has countered with a non-stop day and night offensive against advanced Axis aerodromes. American armoured units assigned to various British reserve regiments are ready to go in when the gong sounds for the next round. "he Cairo correspondent of the "Daily Express” says Rommel has been using a period of watchful waiting to strengthen his defences and acclimatise his reinforcements. The Afrika Korps is particularly short of infantry, and the Italians are being reinforced with convicts reprieved on condition that they fight in Africa. General de Gaulle reviewed th© Fighting French force at Desert Headquarters and decorated officers and men who held up Rommel’s push at Bir Hakheim. The march past was most impressive and included tanks and armoured cars. Pills which the Nazis claim give pep to panzer troops, taken from captured Germans in the Middle East, have been analysed in London and found to consist of low grade sugar unequal to the boiled sweets which form part of British troops’ daily ration.—P.A.