Evening star., 1942-07-08

very effective use of a 6-pounder
anti-tank gun, literally to stalk
enemy tanks and guns. They op-
crate the gun as mobile weapon
an idea they copied from the Ger
mans The general told me that on
Monday 6-pounder went out and
stalked German 88-mm. gun
which the enemy had brought up.
The 88s range is about twice the
6-pounder's, but the British gun
crew, by skillful maneuvering,
finally forced the German gun crew
to surrender. The Germans, num-
bering eight, were coming forward
with raised hands when they were
shot down and killed from their
own lines. The 6-pounder crew
found they had scored eight hits
on the enemy gun without suffering
single hit themselves.
Regiment Practically Independent.
Out here, too, 1 have met an ar
tillery regiment which has been
fighting without rest since the oper-
ations around Mersa Matruh. The
regiment was cut off when the
enemy came around behind Mersa
Matruh, but it fought its way out.
Then it roamed the desert for SO
hours, fighting skirmishes here and
there and making its way eastward
1t reached Ell Daba in time to help
fight a rear-guard action there and
arrived inside Ell Alamein's posi-
tions just an hour ahead of the
enemy spearhead.
1t was sent out again last Friday
afternoon when the enemy attacked
on the southwest sector The regi-
ments 25-pounders were in posi-
tions in depression from which
they shot up enemy tanks, mobile
guns and lorried infantry coming
along the ridge. They had a torrid
time under fire from German tanks
and guns, but they held theil
ground for four hours. The regi-
ment is particularly proud of the
performance because it was the first
time the enemy had been halteo
since Gazala.
The ambition of these gunner:
now is to hurl the enemy bach
across the Libyan frontier. The,
seem to think they have gooe
chance of satisfying it.
There is no doubt that Field Mar
shall Rommel or Gen. Sir CLAUDE
Auchinleck will attack fairly soon
Neither the Axis nor the British
commander can afford to let th'
fighting halt here.
Each Must Push Foe.
The front at present is too ia
from base to suit Marshal RommeI
whose strategy must be to push or
And it is too near the Nile delta t.
suit Gen. Auchinleck: while tn
enemy remains on the present line
he is a constant threat to Alex
andria.
The position here is growing NOR
healthy. Freesh troops are reach
ing the line to reinforce the Brit
ish, New Zealand and South Afri
can units already holding it. Gun:
25-pounders and big anti-tank gun!
are going forward on a road nearb
as I write. 1t would be futile a
present to try to predict the out
come of the battle for Egypt bu
the outlook certainly is better tha
at any time since the British with
drawal from Libya began.
The Axis air force has been ap
pearing in greater numbers the las
two days. Earlier it confined itsel
to night raids and dusk straflng ex
petitions, but fighters and strafer
now are showing up behind our line
in daylight. Nevertheless the RAJ
Australian and South African al
forces still hold the upper hant
and unless the enemy receives yer
substantial air reinforcements ther
seems no reason why we should los
air superiority. South African Bos
ton bombers escorted by Australia
Kittyhawks are still doing a super
job They work almost like ferr
service, going over and coming bac
with clocklike regularity. The st
Army owes a tremendous debt
the men plotting these aircraft.