Evening star., 1942-09-05
Limited Victory
By British Army
Is Reported

By the Associated Press.
CAIRO, Sept. 5.-The British
9th Army held firmly today to
new-won positions on the central
sector of the Ell Alamein front
after smashing three heavy Axis
counterattacks, and military
commentators here declared that
the first week of the renewed
battle for Egypt had ended in a
limited victory for Allied arms.
A joint general headquarters-RAF
communique said Gen. Sir Harold
Alexander's forces met and hurled
back the successive battering
assaults by Nazi Marshal Erwin
Rommel yesterday in a futile effort
to regain positions lost by his Ger
man and Italian troops on Thursday
night.
Reviewing the first week of Mar
shall Rommeps campaign aimed at
Alexandria, Suez and the Valley of
the Nile, British military men said
the Nazi commander incurred an in
itial setback when he penetrated an
Allied minefield, where Allied heavy
artillery and air bombardments
twice forced him to withdraw.
Break Through Rear Guard.
British armored formations and
infantry broke through the enemy
rear guard during the Axis with
drawal and captured the central
positions which they held today. The
value of these positions to Marshal
Rommel was emphasized by the
three furious but futile efforts he
made with infantry and tanks to
regain them.
One military observer expressed
the view that damage to German
and Italian armor had been heavy.
This, he said, was inflicted chiefly
by British 25-pounders and a new
4.5-inch howitzer.
Marshal Rommels quick with
drawal after brief but sharp action
over the cooling desert sands was
believed to have been inspired by
supply difficulties, especially a
shortage OF gasoline.
In this event, military quarters
said, Gen. Alexander might press
forward before the German COM
mand is able to draw new strength
from forward depots.s ss,a,.,
Allied fighters had a big night,
shooting down three enemy planes
near Alexandria and five over the
battle area, military sources re-
ported. .~ 81 4ss
Taken Thursday Night.
The positions, which the Axis
forces were attempting to regain,
had been taken Thursday night
when British forces struck out to
the southwest in the central sector.
The objectives sought by the Brit
ish we're reached and occupied, the
communique said.
Yesterday Axis infantry and ar
mored units were sent against the
same objectives, but intense Allied
artillery fire slowed up the counter
attacks and helped the infantry to
drive off the Axis troops.
While the British were improving
their positions in the central sector,
Marshal Rommel's forces on the
southern end of the line in the
region of Himeimat "again moved
slightly westwards," the communi-
que said-a new withdrawal of Mar
shall Rommel's units.
Pressure Continued.
British mobile units and artillery
continued to batter at the thwarted
Axis forces in this sector and "con-
tinued their pressure on the enemy s
main concentration" 1t was re-
ported.
German tanks, abandoned during
the withdrawal, were destroyed, 1t
was said.
| Marshal Rommel's determination
to find favorable place in the
Allied line for an intensified assault
was further indicated in the move
ment of Axis vehicles, bound east
on the road between Salum and Sid
Barrani. These vehicles were sue.
cessfully attacked by long-range
Allied fighters, the communique said
Although air activity over the bat.
tie area was on q reduced scale yes.
terday, Allied aircraft pounded al
enemy transport both on the road
!; leading to the battle front from
Libya and over the Mediterranean.
Three Axis aircraft were reported
shot down near the battle area last
night.
British commentators today
avoided the suggestion that the
movement Of Allied forces was 8
counteroffensive, but one, noting
that all arms of the 9th British
Army were engaged in considerable
fighting" throughout yesterday, saie
1See EGYPT Page All