Evening star., 1942-07-01
Bv HARRY CROCKETT,


WITH THE BRITISH ARMY ON
THE EGYPTIAN DESERT FRONT,
June % Delayed British and
Axis troops were fighting tonight in
the FL Daba- -Fuka area west OF
Alexandria, but the supreme colll-
sion between their main armies was
yet to come
cairo dispatches today placed
the fighting east Of El Daba,
which is 100 miles west Of Alex
andriaD
British troops continue to slip
through the German and Italian
advance patrols to regain the posi-
tions of their main army, and re-
Inducements still are moving up for
a big prospective battle along the
coastal road between the Mediter-
rsnean coast and the Qattara de-
preston to the south.
For hours I've watched leathery
Britons, bearded Sikhs and dark
skinned Cape Colony troops stream
ing back from the front to new
positions.
Fresh Troops Moved Up.
But for every retiring truck two
more have moved westward with
fresh troops, new guns and supplies
to hurl at Marshal Rommel's forces.
Grinning Indian troops by the
trainload also went forward. while
overhead American and British
fighters and bombers roared reas-
suringly.
For several days now there have
been many tank and artillery clashes
south of Ell Daba, and also south of
Fuka and Matruh farther to the
west. But the actual situation in
this sparring was very confused.
AT Matruh the British said the
Germans felt their way about that
evacuated British port for three
days before making a sweep to the
south to encircle it and find the
British gone and the oil stores there
destroyed.
The British themselves admitted
the pace of the German advance
was almost unbelievable and thought
1t would be unable to continue much
longer because Of Axis supply diff
cultles. They quoted captured Ger
man and Italian prisoners as saying
they were exhausted, hungry and
thirsty because of the grueling
grind.
Drove Through Nazi Unit.
While the British did not rule out
the possibility of an attempted Axis
sweep around the Qattara Depres-
sion far away from the coast, they
were expecting the main battle along
the coast road. But this decisive
struggle was not expected for two
or three days.
AS an example of the confusion in
the desert, Staff Sergt E. G. Tay-
lor. leader of mixed column of
South African and Indian troops.
told of his escape from Matruh when
orders were given for its abandon
ment.
Only small garrison, was sta
toned there when the town was
abandoned last Saturday night, he
said. 1t got out successfully, and
there had been no direct Axis as
sault on Matruh up to that time.
Sergt. Taylors own group he said,
drove right through one German ar
mored unit without being chal-
lenged, and by daylight while it still
was misty Sergt. Taylor said he
passed within 80 yards of an italian
column.
Explosion Lifted Clouds.
Before We left, a tremendous
explosion blew up the oil dumps
so that the clouds seemed to lift
in the sky" he related.
The withdrawing British troops
I've seen appear to be in good
spirits, although tagged by the ex-
treme heat and series of delaying
actions. All were stripped to the
waist as darkness closed in to bring
some relief from the torturing tenn
peratures.
You don't take anything for
granted in this fast-moving desert
war. Last night raiding group
apparently bent on stealing arms
and grabbing off a few prisoners
swooped down on us with shotguns
blazing
An abrupt blast of concentrated
British fire dispersed the raiders.
Tonight the NaZi bombers have
Just finished the first round of their
night raids.
We were caught near their tar
get area-an important nearby town
and also by the retaliatory British
ack-ack fire. With one sprained
knee already tightly bandaged. I
dived under one of our trucks and
injured the other knee and both