Evening star., 1942-08-27
Allied Air Attacks Hint
Major Outbreak in
Desert al Any Moment
Rested, Reinforced Armies
On Both Sides Ready to
Lock in Supreme Bottle
Ey the Associated Press.

E, the Associated Press.
CAIRO, Aug. 27.-Allied airmen
already have begun peeling of
the thin veneer of calm on the
western desert, too crucial a
battlefield to stay quiet long, and
rested, reinforced armies on both
sides of the Alamein line are
ready to lock in what may be q
supreme battle of the war.
The two-month lull may erupt
into another major struggle when
the brightness of full desert moon
begins to wane tonight or the break
may come tomorrow or later.
But whenever it comes, the Brit
ish are sure of three things-it
won't be long, they and their Amer
lean Allies are ready and Prime
Minister Churchill has promised
them every aid possible to put up
a fight as though for England's
own soil.
One portent of a developing new
battle on which may hinge mastery
of the Mediterranean. and Hitler
hopes of closing giant nutcracker
on the Near East through Egypt
and across the Caucasus was the
growing scale of Allied air activity
United States Army airmen have
participated in attacks ranging
from Tobruk and other German
occupied desert posts to shipping In
Suda Bay, Crete, and the Corinth
Canal in Greece in the last 48 hours
In virtually all the raids the
Americans worked in cooperation
with the RAF and were reported to
have caused considerable damage
The Crete and Greece raids were
directed mainly on shipping.
American flyers now are partici-
pating nightly in nearly all raids
over the entire Near East battle
zone.
Long grange RAF fighters raked
enemy transport columns west of
Ell Alamein Tuesday. killing or dis
abling hundreds OF Axis troops and
destroying 20 vehicles headed to-
ward the front lines loaded with
soldiers.
Maoris Raid Positions.
In a ground attack later that
night, New Zealand forces COM
posed mainly of Maoris raided Axis
positions around the Ell Mireir Sec
ton in the center Of the desert
front, taking prisoners.
The attack was said to have
caught Italian troops by surprise
and caused them heavy casualties.
Military officials said, however, that
the operation was regarded only as
a local action. not the opening of
a big scale attack.
One informed source who could
not be quoted by name said "it was
just an ordinary raid to keep the
enemy on the hop and get informa-
ton"
An Raj spokesman said Raj and
United States bombers raided Suda
Bay, Crete, and the Corinth Canal
in Southern Greece before dawn
last Tuesday, but described the
operation as on small scale. He
said some damage was caused, but
its extent had not been determined
fully.
Prisoners Seized in Assault.
The British headquarters-RA
communique today reported attacks
by long-range fighters on enemy
supplies being trucked over the
coastal road.
In the first air operation on this
front combining United States Army
AR Force medium bombers, South
African light bombers, Raj and
naval planes, four Axis air bases in
the Sidi Barrani and Ell Daba areas
were raided.
In one attack the leader of South
African air force squadron, 1t. Col,
Brockenhagen. deliberately flew into
telephone wires beside an enemy
landing field near Sidi Barrani,
thereby breaking up vital commune
cations at this important stronghold.
1t. Col. Brockenhagen not only
flew his plane home safely after
this daring exploit, but he also led
IN his entire force unscathed. The
South Africans scored direct hits on
a Junkers 81 transport plane on an
airfield and machine-gunned others.
Parachutists Withdrawn.
New strength in manpower, new
weapons, new confidence and q new
commander. Gen. Sir Harold Alex
ander, await the test on this side.
The old desert campaigners are
rested. the recent arrivals are eager
(See EGYPT. Pare A-16.)