Evening star., 1942-07-02
Churchill Wins Vote> AS to 25;
Admits Near-Disaster for Allies
In Mediterranean and Near East
Axis Is RepuIsed
Near Fl AIumein,
British Report
BY the Associated Press.

BY lne Associated Press.
LONDON, July 2.-Fighting the
battle for Egypt in a desert sand
storm, the British announced to-
day the repulse of powerful Axis
armored and infantry attacks at
Ell Alamein, 10 miles west of
Alexandria, but the Germans and
Italians asserted they had seized
that drab coastal village and
were pursuing the British head
long toward the inviting green
delta of the Nile.
All sources agreed on the intensity
of the conflict but on nothing else.
Results were not unfavorable to
U.s." British headquarters in Cairo
declared in reporting battle that
continued all day yesterday.
Temporary Break by Axis.
The armored forces of Nazi Mar
shall Erwin Rommel were acknowl-
edged to have made temporary
break at one defended locality, only
to be driven out again by the
British columns.
Farther south, on the edge OF the
great Quattara Depression, British
forces ranged II miles west OF their
positions to engage Axis units, but
the main battle obviously was along
the coastal road toward Alexandria,
where Gen. Sir Claude j. E. Auchin-
leck chose to make his stand against
persistent frontal assault.
Despite the sandstorms the Raj
continued intense bombing and
stranng of the enemy in the Ell
Alamein area, the British said, but
the Axis claimed domination OF the
skies over the battlefield.
The Germans credited their dive
bombers with paving the way for
the claimed break-through at Ell
Alamein.
Air Attacks Stepped Up.
Allied bombers, meanwhile, were
reported to have stepped up their
attacks on Axis land forces, blasting
away at lines of communication,
supply depots and concentrations of
mechanized units.
The air operations were carried
out despite heavy sandstorms, head
quarters declared. Especially heavy
attacks were reported concentrated
on the Axis airdrome near Sidi Bar
rani, where seven enemy planes
were reported destroyed and many
others damaged.
The stand by the British followed
a 350-mile retreat across the desert
in less than three weeks.
1t seemed certain that on the
outcome of the battle depended not
only the fate of Alexandria, with its
great naval base, but the whole Brit
ish position in the Eastern Medi-
terranean and the Allies backdoor
supply route to Soviet Russia.
Defense in Depth Prepared.
The 9th Army was bolstered for
the struggle by support troops and
reserves stretching back across the
desert to Alexandria, and it ap-
peared that Gen. Auchinleck had
prepared defense in depth to meet
the Axis assaults.
The point which the British have
chosen for their stand is the best
between the Egyptian border and
the Nile Valley from a defensive
point Of view, for the salt wastes
Of the Qattara Depression, angling
up from the south, reduce to its
narrowest the coastal area suitable
for mechanical operations.
Gen. Auchinleck apparently had
managed to save large proportion
of his remaining armored strength
IN the long retreat across the desert.
Much obviously depended now on
his ability to manipulate his mech
anized units to prevent Marshal
Rommel from executing a favorite
German maneuver "a smashing
blow at a concentrated enemy force.
305 Miles in 10 Days.
Much also depended on the Nazi
chieftain's ability to maintain his
extended lines of communication,
stretched almost to the breaking
point by swift advance that has
covered some 305 miles in the 10
days since his armies captured To-
bruk-now his nearest port OF sup
ply.
In an attempt to smash these lines
of communication the Raj, aided by
United States Air Force bombers,
was said to be operating veritable
shuttle service" across the battle
zone from dawn to dusk.
American built Kittyhawk fight
ers, equipped for bombing opera
tions were credited with playing an
important role in these operations.
One RAF squadron leader declared
the "Kittybombers" were proving
extremely effective against enemy
tanks, reporting that 81 tanks had
(See EGYPT, Page A-14)