The Waterbury Democrat., 1941-06-18

E0m EaBO "
 fighting Q feroclous battle under A desert sun SO hot that operations of the infantry are impeded, it was said authorltatively today,
 Both sides have brought up 70. inforcements and dispatches indie cated that the tank forces engaged might prove to be the greatest in any battle ever fought.
 10 was said that the empire forces had taken the Germans by surprise at Fort Capuzzo, on the Libyan side of the Egyptian border.
 But now the Germans had re- celved heavy achievements, ins ciuding Italians, and had counter. attacked ifl force.
 It was admitted that it was too early to tell what the result of the battle would be.
 "There has as yet been no deci- sIve turn," an authoritative infor- mant said, land 1t may be that no decision or result will be reached
 franks are preponderant in the battle, British motorized infantry is advancing behind tanks and other mechanized units.
 "The chief significance of the battle is the fact that the empire forces have been able to take of. fengive action while they are cn- gagged in carrying out another of' fensive campaign on the syrian front"
 It was known that, as in the Lib- van offensive Of last September, the empire forces were feeling out the strength of the Axis forces, now composed largely of Germans.
 It was believed to be the British plan, if a break-through proved possible, to drive on to Tobruk, 70 miles to the west.
 Informants intimated that the Germans were fighting bitterly fully aware that their prestige was ct stake, and that there would Do no premature optimism here.
 Battle Of Tanks Ends
 London, June i9. -- (UP) - The battle of tanks in the western des' ert ended today with what British sources regarded as q major q" chieyement-.the infiicting Of serious damage upon the German Bpeartiead ct the Libya-Egypt frontier.
 British sources said that the DIE tank battle was ifidecisive go Tar aS actual hostilities were concerned since neither side was able to effect Als. tAmnaL -ttaRaagah
 However, it was felt here that the British had come out Of the desert battle with the important advantage of smashing up the German aifl- intuition and supply dumps at for. ward positions on the sollufi es" carpment and inflicting severe losss es on German armored units. It was noted here that for the first time Q big battle had been fought with Nazi armored units in which the German tanks forces had been unable to thrust through the opposition and achieve Q break. through.
 Reports from Egypt agreed that the armorcd forces Of the British and Germans were approximately equal and it was thought here that the British armored units stood up and traded blow for blow with the famed Nazi Panzer units.
 While the British failed to discov- CT 6 gap for . breakSthrough into Libya, 1t was considered sure here thAt they had succeeded in disrupt- ing any axis preparations for an of- fensive toward suez,
 American Tanks In It
 Rome, June ie-(UP)-The Of. flcial etefani News Agency claimed today that the British employed hundreds of the newest type Of United States tanks" ia the battle Of the western desert.
 The etefani report was carried in c dispatch datelined from the "zo1e Of operations"
 other Italian reports claimed that the British suffered a major defeat in the soilum battle and Virginia dadya, Fascist editor, asserted that 200 British tanks Of 1000 thrown in. to the battle were destroyed.
 dadya, writing in the Giornale DTtaiia, said that the British forces in the Soilum sector "included, 1000 tanks, comprising two British divl- sions, one Of which was the famous iith Hussar division"
 Almost 200 British tanks were de- stroyed or captured in the sollufn battle" dayda claimed. "One British armored division had been prepared for action in Egypt while Gen. Sir Archibald Wavell also had concen- trated 14 to IS divisions at the suez Canal"