The Waterbury Democrat., 1942-06-24
GEN. ROMIMEL ON
 WAY TO EGYPT
scantlnued from Pare D


 eContinued from Page D
 lt vas indicated that the enemy HGTces were spreading southward toward the interior road which runs eastward from Sidi Rezegh in the desert and reaches the frontier ct %ort Cnpuxzo and Solun.
 British mobile columns, not con- tent Co remain on the defensive, were active west of the main Brit hsh line, seeking to hit enemy ad- vance parties and, by observing enemy movement, to learn what Rommel's next move might be.
 British advance headquarters had ~s yet no clue, 1t was indicated, which would enable staff experts to deduce the probable point at which RommelSS men would hit the Brit ash line.
 Il. seemed certain only that Rom mel would hit 1t hard and soon.
 There was no word from the southern part of the British line, in the Sidi Omar area of the interior desert, where Rommel might be ex- pected to essay Q thanking attack.
 British air forces, aided by lAmerican-built Douglas light bomb CTS, harassed the enemy constantly I an areas far to the rear of the Ger lmax advance forces, and word was lexpected at any time that the great Consolidated B-24 bombers of the United States army air corps had ltaken the air again to make another attack like that in which, with IBritish planes, they rained big bombs on Benghazi, the chief Axis lhase for the Libyan campaign.
 By RICHARD D. MCMILLAN Limited Press Stan CorrespOndent)
 With the British Eighth Army in Egypt, June 24 = (UP) = German aong range guns opened on the Brit fish frontier line today and apower- 6ul Axis army, of tanks, guns, mo- bile anti-aircraft artillery and in- 6antry poured over the desert road Int forced march for it's greatest of- hensive of the Libyan war.
 British engineers and infantry men worked without pause, their endurance strained to the limit, to hmprovise a defense line which would hold Q jubiiant and determined mneny until armored and foot forces gould be reorganized.
 The British 9th army faced, im- laminently and certainly, task so great that it did not leave much room for immediate optimism.
 The Allied hope was that the British gift for improvisation under desperate handicap and at the mo- ment of greatest peril would save the day, with the aid of the Royal lAir Force with the United States army air corps Consolidated B-24 planes which were now in action and had already bombed the great Axis base of Benghazi.
 The opening shots of the battle Of ERypt, in which Nazi Field Mar slaaI Erwin Rommel hopes to break through to Suez, whined over the frontier this morning, from Axis Ibatteries newly emplaced in the idesert near Fort Capuzzo \at the northern end of the British line.
 They smashed down in an area an which a column of British tanks was moving along the defense line.
 Artillery Moves Fast
 Tt was evidant even to the ground forces that Rommel's artillery was moving rapidly east. As fast as the batteries arrived they were wheeled into position for the bombardment opening the battle proper. : Reconnaissance planes came back with reports that 8 very powerful Axis army was on the march, along the Tobruk road, which passes :; through Gambut slightly in from the coast and has its terminus at ' Bardia, now in Axis hands, just north of the frontier and the Brit 1sn anchor at Fort Capuzzo.
 They were pointed toward the coastal end of the British line which has Fort Capuzzo and the Solum- aell-Fire, ofiicially Halfaya, pass for Ats key points.
 Great guns, moving on tractors, heavy as well as light anti-aircraft XllklSs 6ll 1uB1lly A1O9A4Sp AAuSO NASA man tanks with 88 millimeter GAS inch) guns and dusty columns of Italian infantrymen were in the virtual parade of Axis forces toward the frontier.
 It was evident to us here that Rommel had given his forces no rest after their triumph at Tobruk. \. Military men here at the front naid the ferocious attack on Tobruk was likely to prove only 8 minia- ture maneuver compared to the as- sault to be expected on Egypt, in which, it was indicated, Rommel would try to break the British line for 6 mass drive through toward the Marsa Matruh base and the railroad to the east.
 ROmmel Encouraged
 without doubt, Rommel had been encouraged by his quick victory at