Evening star., 1942-07-07
Nazi Panzers Beaten
By U. 5. Tank Unit in
tibya, Army Reports
Dispatches Credit Force
With Knocking, Out at
Least 9 Enemy Machines
By the Associated Press.

Least 9 Enemy Machines
By the Associated Press.
A token force of American tank
soldiers met and defeated German
panzer units in a Libyan Desert
skirmish June II and was believed
today to be engaged with British
troops in the battle Of Egypt.
The War Department announced
the tank encounter in a COM
munique late yesterday. Dispatches
from Cairo credited the American
force with knocking out at least
nine German tanks without suffer-
ing casualties itself in the battle
between Knightsbridge and Acroma
the day before the German ambush
of the British armored force on
June l3.
The Americans left their tanks at
Tobruk and got out OF that port
lust before the Germans went IN.
Cairo advices said they were 10
have returned to America to apply
lessons learned in the desert, ou1
because of the German advance
thew we're ordered to stay and join
in the fight to save Egypt.
The American tank crews went TO
Africa under command OF MAJ.
Henry Cabot Lodge tSenator Lodge
of Massachusetts, who returned to
Washington yesterday. During MS
desert tour of duty Senator Lodge
underwent machine-gun fire and
dive bombing and narrowly escaped
being taken prisoner.
No Battle Casualties.
american crews manned Amerl-
can.made medium tanks in combat
during a part Of the battle OF Lioya
On June II and H." the War De-
partment communique said. They
comprised a portion OF group OF
American armored force observers
who have been In North Africa Tor
ss1eral weeks. ~ N..
&The tanks operated by the Amer
leans were. under the command OF
Capt. Charles G. Sterling OF Augusta,
Ga. In two days Of heavy fighting
the american crews succeeded IN
knocking out several German tanks.
ThA American tanks were hit re-
peatedly but were not seriously dam
aeed. There were no battle casual
tics among the personnel"
Edward Kennedy, Associated Press
var correspondent with Allied
troops, said the American unit saw
little fghting on the first day. the
following day 1t was part OF a
British formation charged with
holding a desert ridge between
Kninhtsbridge, and Acroma to pro
tect the withdrawal OF South Al.
rica,a infantry from the Gazala area
About IS German tanks attacked
shortly after dawn. The battle
ragged all day. The ridge was helo.
zigzakged 100 Yards Eath Way.
Cart sterling told Mr. Kennedy OF
thezsiixhtang in these words:
&sWe xig5agged about 100 yards
esch way, just keeping zigzagglng
anAa firing at enemy tanks. Our
orders were to- fire at the enemy
tsnk nearest to us and keep firing
at it until we stopped It, then turn
cur FIRE on the next nearest tank.
fThe war Department. corn.
mm1ioue said the tanks operated
hv the Americans were under
Sammand OF Capt. Sterling dur- +
ing the fighting D -, ". ~ -.
a-We opened up with our 75-milli-
nxSfar alln when they came WITHIN
aDOo yards, using high-exploslve
shells at first, changing to armor
piercing shells when tney cane
nearer. When they came to within
! 2Oo wards we used our 37-mllllme-
ter gun. too. They launched three
bie attacks during the day. out nc ne
0esrnan tank got nearer than 1o'
yards to us. .,,
SaI don't know exactly how many
~ knocked out, as we did not cnech
tkem. but there, were at least nlne
"There were four direct hits on
cne of our tanks and the others go.
olancfn9 blows and shell fragments,
cart. stelling said. I'VE could neal
the- atuH rattle against the sioes:
T4Tney did no more than make In'
t&Syerse more difficult on one O
dEr runs. We stopped some OF tn'
1erman tanks at over 1000 yaros
There is no question a Genera
Grant is the best tank in the oes
ert II can take on three or lou
C.rroan tanks without fear"
IInbearably Hot in Tanks.
throughout the day the Amer
Ans fought. AS the MONDAY SUI
N these African wastes poured ~
dnrrid rays over the battleheio
Israme almost unbearably hot IN
Sade the tanks.
yThey did not have time TO eau
Nhey were either firing or Watcilill
%nr enemy tanks. That night Iner
Ias a general withdrawal from III
oSition The work had been don'
The infantry had been evacuabe
<ron Gazala and the German tank
1sd been prevented from cuttm
toem to pieces. x.o
Drring the trip they were ma
fhine-gunned from the air ana oive
Sonbed One bomb exploded . 1e'
from a tank, but, fortunately a
rere inside tanks at the TIM
Seret. P. E. Mauzy of Calhoun, ~
2roSe the bones on one hand as
Stumbled.
"I thought would be afraid, sa
ene of the soldiers. But we iour
tnat when we were in the TANKS
we're too busy to be afraid. = :,
II think we learned lot IRON o
sne in the battle" said Staff Sers
" 2. Fralish of Anton, Ala, WI
commanded one of the groups.
First Indication of Fighting.
Although the British nave US
large numbers of American-ma'
tanks in the Libyan campaign ye
terday's communique was the III
Indication that American armor
force combat crews had partlclpat
in any of the North African flgntr
the fact that the American ere
we're commanded by captain W
taken as an indication that I
YInitsd States force participating