The Waterbury Democrat., 1942-07-14
GEN. ROMMEL
 SMASHED BACK
CcOntInued from Page l)

SttOyeo py The klCLinaWkS.
 Dispatches said that Axis air op- erations, which had increased last week end, were les extensive today, probably as a result of allied air at-, tacks on their bases.
 There was fighting on the south- ern flank with armored units in- volved, but the main enemy effort was on the north.
 As the infantrymen debouched from their trucks and made toward the Imperial line they were met by artillery, machine gun and rifle fire, the attack was broken.
 It was the second time in two days, that Rommel attempted to regain perhaps for a renewed offensive against Alexandria and Nile-the positions he lost in the British at- tack last week.
 Today's joint communique of the middle eastern command and the Royal Air Force, also reported that toward the southern end of the line, which ends at the Qattara salt bogs, British and German tank and ar- mored car columns were clashing in the desert dust bowl.
 Air Attacks Increase
 The communlque noted that aerial activity was intensifying in the battle area, with the British and South African air forces evidently retaining their domination.
 Imperial fighters, fighter -bombers and light bombers attacked the Axis landing grounds at Fl Daba, just west of the present line, and bombed and machine gunned a big concen- tration of vehicles, the communique said.
 All attacks were described as suc- cessful and it was said that some tanks were destroyed.
 At least six enemy planes were shot down in air battles in addi- ton to others destroyed on the ground, the communique said. In addition, at least five enemy planes were shot down and others damaged in attacks yesterday on Malta. For this toll of at least Il plants de- finitely downed and others damaged, the British forces lost only one plane.
 Day, Night Attacks Allied planes, from fighters and the new fighter -bombers to big four motored heavy bombers, maintained day and night attack on Axis positions, supply lines and bases.
 Despite the Axis attacks at the coastal end of the line, the imper- ials generally held the initiative both there and along the remainder of the front stretching down to the Quattara bogs.
 Australian fighter -bombers were reported to have downed 8 German Fieseler Storch light communica- tions plane, such as is generally used only for carrying officers of the German staff-including Field Marshal Erwin Rommel.
 Just as the German plane was taking of, a Hurricane hghter-bom- Der spotted it, swept down and dropped a bomb which turned it over. A second fighter bomber diyed, destroyed it with machine gun bull lets and. it was believed, killed all its occupants.
 When 8 Fiesler Storch was shot down in the early days of the last German offensive Gen. Ludwig Cruewell, commanding the German tank forces, was made prisoner. Ruhr Is Attacked
 London, July 14-tUP)-British long range bombing planes, re- suming their offensive against Ger man war industry, attacking the Ruhr during the night and left many fires burning, the air minis try said today.
 The loss of five planes indicated that the raid was of secondary scale, compared with recent British raids in which as many as 1000 planes night were sent against Germany.
 It was the first time since the night of June 16-17 that the Ruhr was bombed.
 Since then in eight raids, one of them a 1,000-plane attack, the Royal Air Force had been sent against the big German submarine centers where the NaZis are turning out the craft which are preying on allied commerce.