Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1942-11-04
Axis Apparently Is
In Full Retreat,
London Hears
BY EDWARD KENNEDY,
Associated Press War Correspondent.


CAIRO, Nov. At. Gen. B. l..
Montgomery's Army of the Nile
has followed up its first victory
over Field Marshal Erwin ROM
meps tanks by smashing on be-
yond Sidi Add Ell Rahman, 10
miles west of Ell Alamein on the
coastal railroad, hurting the Axis
back almost half way to Ell Daba
from it's deepest gain into Egypt.
A British communique indicated
today that the 9Th Army's offensive
has gone into high gear along the
whole front. 1t declared that the
British also hurled back the Ger
mans and Italians at the southern
flank of the desert battle zone, cap
turing the strong points of DER Ell
Angar Munassibi and Himeimat.
On London one British source
declared that "the enemy seems
to be in full retreat" and it ap-
peared that Gen. Montgomery
had brought into action the
greatest striking force of armor
and air power yet engaged in the
fight for North Africa.
(The Berlin radio broadcast a
DNB dispatch reporting that the
British resumed their offensive on
the Axis northern flank with all
forces still remaining to them.D
Recaptured DER Ell Angar Munas-
sib is slightly more tnan 20 miles
south-southWest of Ell Alamein
where the now broken Axis de-
tense line slanted across the desert
ridges toward its southern anchor
on the edge of the Qattara salt
marshes. Himeimat is 8 to 10 miles
farther south, almost at the edge
of the Qattara Depression.
Whole Line Rolled Back.
The gains at the two TANKS, fol-
lowing up the 9th Army's tank-Won
victory in Mondays six-hour battle
of Tel Ell Akakir-the Hill OF Wicked
Men-indicated that the whole bit
terly-defended Axis line was being
rolled back.
1.-THE 9Th Army advanced again
during the night of November 2 tc
3 and yesterday" the British wal
bulletin reported.
In the north, excepting the
coastal sector where Axis forces
are hemmed in between the railway
and the sea- the enemy was driver
to the west of Sid and Ell Rah.
man.
I'm the southern sector the enemy
fell back from their positions a
Defer Ell Angar Munassib and Hime'
imat, which were occupied by oul
troops"
(The wording of the commune
que, making clear that the Axis
forces pinned against the coast
were not included in the retreat
beyond Sidi Add Ell Rahman,
gave evidence that the trapped
troops had been unable to break
out of the pocket in which they
were held by Australian infan-
try, it was noted in London.)
Terrific Aerial Battering.
Rommel's losses in the actua
ground fighting were multiplied by
the terrific aerial onslaught which
British and American planes GEN.
tered on his forces as they with
drew in an attempt to reform.
For the past "a hours" the
British communique related, ''the
full force of the Allied air striking
power has been concentrated on
enemy units Withdrawing along the
coastal road.
Our light bombers and fighter
bombers have maintained incessant
pressure on excellent targets pro-
vided by slow-moving transports.
I'm addition, armored vehicles
were attacked by low-fying aircraft
along the whole battle area"
Axis air forces were jolted back
almost entirely on the defensive
Only twice, the British reported, did
German planes attempt to bomb
Britain's attacking force, and in
those attempts failed at cost OF
10 planes destroyed and at least a
dozen damaged. Four more were
destroyed in other operations, and
another at Malta. British plane
losses totaled Is.
Dispatches from the battlefront
said the new British thrust devel-
oped from a striking base which the
British cleared out three miles west
Of a broad gap torn in the Axis de-
Tense system Of minef1elds, barbed
wire and strongpoints.
Tanks Litter Battlefield.
While British artillery and in
fantry held open this line of assault
strong tank forces and troop rein
forcements streamed through into
a new fight over a battlefield Uttered
with the wreckage of many of Mar
shall Rommels tanks, while files
of enemy prisoners including high
officers plodded back to Britain's
prisoner pens.
The first test of the opposing tank
armies came Monday in the north
ern sector of the line when the
(See EGYPT, Page A-4)