Evening star., 1942-08-28
The Egyptian Front Stirs

The long-dormant Egyptian front
is once more aStir Ever since the
British stand at Ell Alamein two
months ago halted Marshal Rommels
sweeping advance, both sides have
been waging a "quartermaster's bat
tie" straining every nerve to bring
up fresh troops, equipment and sup
plies. In this bloodless conflict, both
sides have succeeded. The result is
that the British and Axis armies are
alike rested, reinforced and eager for
a decisive trial of strength.
All of Rommels recent moves in
dicate that he is getting set for
major stroke. His picked young
German tank and paratroop REIN
forcements, largely flown in by air
from Crete, have been withdrawn
from the front lines where they had
been acclimatized during recent
weeks, and appear to be resuming
their specialized jobs somewhere in
the rear. Seasoned Italian infantry
are holding the front lines, especially
near the coast, while German tank
and mobile artillery units are re-
portedly being concentrated to the
southwark, where rocky desert favors
motorized operations. Another factor
which indicates an imminent stroke
by "The Desert Fox" is the phase of
the moon, which is now just past its
full. Cool moonlight desert nights
are favorite occasions for Rommel to
execute his complex nlaneuvers For
that matter, the great heat of the
summer season is passing and the
best campaigning weather in North
Africa Is at hand. The one thing
that Rommel still lacks Is abundant
air strength. The bulk of the Luft-
waite is still concentrated on the
terrific struggle before Stalingrad
and In the Caucasus. Yet stable
Axis air concentrations have been
reported in Crete, Greece and Italy,
| and could doubtless be flown to the
Egyptian front at the psychological
moment.
However, while Ronmel thus vis-
| IDLY girds for new stroke, the Brit
ish, with the assistance OF consider
able American air forces, are like
wise preparing for action Heartened
by the recent visit OF winston
Churchill, and commanded by Gen
eral Alexander, one OF Britain's most
aggressive commanders, the Imperia
Eighth Army IS confident of meeting
the best that Rommel can do ane
going him one better. The shock o.
battle between these two picked ane
seasoned armies, when 1t comes, un.
questionably will be a terrific one.
The battle-ground is inevitably re-
stricted to the relatively marrow
corridor of sandy or hard-surfacet
desert stretching some thirty mile
from the Mediterranean coast to tn
impossible sinkhole of the Qattar;
Depression. On this funnel-shapet
terrain the struggle will be squarel
joined. 1t should thus be ding
dong, head-on affair, with scan
chance for wide fianking operation.
The chief strategic factor in Rom
mel's favor is that the British stan
at almost the eastern end of thi
funnel and cannot retreat far with
out letting Rommel get beyond tn
Qattara Depression and becom
able to fan out in many direction
across open desert toward the vale
,, of the Nile, Rommel, on the othe
| hand. could be driven back 100 mile
or more and still have his flank
protected by the sea and the Qattal
Depression. Yet experience h;
i proved that tank and mobile a
tillery strength is needed to mail
> tain any line in this desert Warfar
. Thus, British mechanical victo
y would probably compel Rommel
= retire hastily great distance
: order to save his army from destru
ton.
The stakes are thus down and tt
grim play seems about to begi
l What the result of this Well-match
contest will be, only time can te