12 DIVISIONS

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

12 DIVISIONS

GERMAN AND ITALIAN BTH ARMY STANDS READY (Reed. 6.15 p.m.) LONDON, Sept. 1 Whether the present operations in Egypt are a full-scale offensive or merely local, only events in the next few days will show, says the Times correspondent with the Eighth Army. Under their new Commander-in-Chief, General Montgomery, the Eighth Army is in great heart. Refreshed and reinforced, they are eager for action. There is a full realisation of the vital importance of throwing hark the enemy, and it can confidently be asserted that our men will fight to a finish. The Allied official attitude i.s neither optimistic nor pessimistic, but realistic. For reasons of military strategy, and policy, there is likely to be little news for the next few days. The military writer to the Times says both sides have been strongiy reinforced since the last fighting. The enemy recently received one new German division and one Italian division. The enemy's force now apparently includes the German loth and 24th Armoured Divisions, the 90th Light Division, the 164 th Division, the Italian Arieta and Vittorio Armoured Divisions, and the Brescia, Pavia, Trento, Bologna and Pistoi Divisions. A German parachute battalion has also been identified. All these formations are in the strategic battle - zone, but not necessarily all close to the front. There may be other Italian divisions in Tripoli. It is an extraordinarily powerful army to maintain in the desert, through shattered ports with improvised facilities. There is reason to believe the enemy's tank strength is not very high. It is also probable that the enemy does not possess army and corps troops in adequate strength for an army of 12 divisions.