AXIS ADVANCE

New Zealand Herald, Volume 79, Issue 24369, 3 September 1942, Page 3

AXIS ADVANCE

MOVE BY ROMMEL ACTION IN EGYPT MAIN CLASH TO COME (Reed. 11.5 p.m.) LONDON. Sept. 2 Latest despatches from the Desert state that Rommel, after advancing eight miles through the Allied minefields near El Himeimat, swung one column to the north-east and another due north toward Ruweisak Ridge. The correspondent of the Daily Telegraph with the Bth Army says Rommel is apparently seeking our main tank force, which General Montgomery is holding in reserve until the German columns have been weakened by artillery and air attacks. Rommel yesterday advanced eight miles in his new push in the southern sector of the El Aiamein front, says Renter's Cairo correspondent. The Axis attempt to punch through the j centre of the K1 Aiamein line has been firrnlv held, and the situation there is described as being fully under control. Heavy fighting continues in the southern sector. The Germans are using all types of equipment, including heavy tanks and dive-bombers. Delaying Tactic* The Cairo correspondent of the Daily i Mail says the Allies made no real at-1 tempt to stop Rommel's advance, only i to delay him. Therefore his advance is j regarded as slow and no pessimi-in is felt here concerning it. From the Allies' viewpoint the battle has not yet begun. Rommel has merely moved into what is regarded as a huge no-man's-land. Another Cairo message states that by the light of the waning moon two strong Axis columns thrust toward General Montgomery's fluid southern j sector at 1 a.m. yesterday. Allied artil- ! lery and air forces vigorously attacked I the German tanks, wnich were accomi panied by big formations of motor | Transports as they pushed forward along j the dry river beds. Rommel's 90th Light Infantry was heavily shelled as it became entangled in the minefield. It was then engaged by our infantry. Scene of Fighting Allied tank forces did not make contact with the enemy throughout yesterday. When dusk ended the major operations Axis forces had withdrawn slightly from the point reached a little to the north-east of El Himeimat, which is a ! hill position overlooking the Qattara j Depression and around which the main j fighting proceeded ail day long. This is i the farthest point of the Axis advance, i Correspondents say the main fighting j area is still around El Himeimat. As ; far as it known there has been no re- ; newal of the fruitless secondary attack \ against our positions in the centre. Enemy In Strength | Dealing with the El | ing, Cairo messages continue to emphasise that the enemy is in strength, though there is no indication yet of any big clash. Up to -last night the general picture was of engagements with j the enemy by our light forces, while j the guns of both sides fought terrific j artillery duels. | The British United Press corresj pondent with the Bth Army says Romi mel's advance was characterised by ex- ! treme caution. The German tanks were I mostly of the Mark 111. type, which did j not attack in a body, but were widely spread out in clusters, j Rommel transferred supplies of am- ; munition, fuel and other stores last ! Tuesday and Wednesday from north to south. Allied air forces observed the I movement and severely pasted the transports. Dust storms aided the early jstages of Rommel's attack, particularly ( because they interfered with the refuel- | ling of our planes. I AMBULANCE SERVICE ! AMERICANS IN EGYPT | ATTACHED TO NEW ZEALANDERS LOS ANGELES, July 27 | A unit of the American Field Service | is at present on duty in the front line of the desert war, reports A. C. Sedgwick, New York Times correspondent with the Bth Army in Egypt, it comprises 20 vehicles that are the gifts of American persons and organisations. With their four-wheel drives and their i chassis high oif the ground, they are j considered to be almost the perfect i vehicle for the task allotted to them. | The unit is attached to the New Zealand fences. The personnel shares mess and quarters with the New Zealanders in the midst of a sandy, windswept plain at a point that is "close to the enemy's forward positions. In recent days the American Field Service men have experienced repeated shell-] ing, and attacks bv Stukas have been j averaging four a day. i During the last fortnight the New j | Zealanders have been going in for night j fighting, usually leaving their base in j small detachments just before mid- j night. The ambulances had been foi- j lowing them, but later the hazards pre- i sen ted by minefields appeared to con- j stitute an unwarranted risk. Now the practice is for the American ! vehicles to leave the base at the first I light of day and advance, in dispersed | order, into disputed territory to pick j up wounded of both sides."There is; virtually no driver who had not learned j something of dodging land mines and ! of negotiating the shell-torn terrain. While the Allied withdrawal westward was going on, this American unit, among others, took a major part in progressively removing patients from hospitals near the front to quarters where greater safety might be assured. "DEAD" MAN REVIVES LONDON*. Sept. 1 ' Two Canadian soldiers, returning from the Dieppe raid, thinking that their boat was in danger of sinking, threw out the body of a comrade to j lighten the load. When they awoke in hospital "the corpse" was lying in a I bed between them. The dipping had re- 1 vived the apparently dead man and he \ was picked up by a rescue ship. "The j corpse'' is now spending his time ex- j plaining to his two comrades just what • he intends to do to them when he recovers.