Evening star., 1942-09-01
'ers Force Pushes Miles Through Mine Fields British Say
Continued From First Page. 4,

necessary for great fIanking move
ments which played so large a part
In his previous victories.
The danger to Alexandria is ad-
mitted here, but there Is an indica-
tion that well-informed British cir
cles believe Gen. Sir Harold Alex
ander, Britain's Near East COM
mander. is capable not only of STOP
ping the Axis drive but OF admins
tering sharp defeat.
Such development might be the
prelude to series of offensive op-
erations aimed at throwing the
enemy out of North Africa and open
Ing the way to overseas operations
by Allied forces.
Testing Churchill Pledge.
The British War Office, announc-
ing the new offensive, said it was
too early to tell whether it was "on
d jor SCALE" but all the signs of
recent weeks indicated that Marshal
Rommel was about to test Prime
Minister Churchills recent pledge to
"flght for Egypt and the Nile Valley
as if it were the soil of England
itself"
4 Quiet for two months, except for
the occasional fire of patrolling ma
chinegunners and the daily crump,
crump of bombs, the southern end
of the battlefield has been alive for
more than "a hours with the thunder
of tank, artillery and infantry
fighting
The British War Office announce
ment early today said Marshal Rom
mel had sent his forces, including
armor," forward in the region of
Ell Himeimat, Is miles due south of
Ell Alamein, early yesterday morn
ing.
They were Immediately engaged
by our light forces and fighting is
proceeding" the announcement
said.
The German thrust in the south
was accompanied by a weak" Ital-
ian feint against the Allied lines
to the north, but the War ONCE
said the Italian move was re
pulsed with loss to the enemy"
The Axis action did not catch
the strengthened and rested Allied
forces off guard because for some
days past there have been signs of
renewed activity on Rommels
'front.'" the communique said.
1t was June Is that the Axis
launched the offensive which drove
the weary and disorganized British
Army from Libya, recaptured the
stronghold of Tobruk and pene-
trated Egypt to within 65 miles of
Alexandria in 10 days.
Stalled Since July 1.
Since July / Marshal Rommel's
army has been stalled along a line
running from the Mediterranean at
a point about 10 miles west Of Ell
Alanien south to the Qattara De-
preston, which he apparently is at
tempting to skirt on his new drive,
launched under more favorable
weather conditions.
For weeks Marshal Rommel has
been receiving supplies and rein
forcements, repairing tanks and
equipment and testing the British
strength. His air forces have been
bombing Allied airdromes behind
the lines. Newly arrived parachute
troops have been acclimating them
selves in the desert.
Allied forces also have been busy.
Gen. Alexander succeeded Gen.
Sir Claude J. E. Auchinleck in
the Egyptian command. New sup
plies and reinforcements have been
Streaming into the desert. New
American tanks, with their Ameri-
can repair crews, have tried
the deserts sand. New United
States bombers have been active
both over the desert and over the
Mediterranean.
Marshal Rommers tanks are only
some rs miles from the British
naval base of Alexandria and about
1a0 miles from Cairo and 180 miles
from the Suez Canal.
Beyond is the strategic link of
Land which ties the Egyptian front
to the battered Russian lines in
the Caucasus