Evening star., 1942-07-13
Reds in Crave Peril in Don Area;
Armies in Egypt Being Reinforced;
FB| Names IA Saboteur Contacts
British Standing
Firm; Sharp Axis
Attacks RepuIsed
BY the Associated Press.


CAIRO, Egypt, July 13. -
Britain's Army of the Nile, once
again bolstered by Australians,
stood firm in its neWly-won posi-
tions 10 miles west of Ell Alamein
today after repulsing sharp Ger
man attacks, but Field Marshal
Erwin Rommel was reinforcing
his forces by air and sea and pre-
pairing for a new thrust toward
Alexandria.
Gen. Sir Claude Auchinleck also
was drawing new strength from
his stores and reserves in Egypt.
With both sides thus hastily gath
ering power for new tests present
activity in the desert was viewed
by British military circles as probing
for favorable ground for future op-
erations.
The newly won British positions
at Tel Ell Elsa, west of Ell Alamein,
were believed so vital to Marshal
Rommel's offensive plans that the
! British expected he would continue
to attempt to recapture them before
he begins new bid for a complete
Egyptian victory.
The British communique today
said they had repulsed all German
counterattacks on the positions so
far.
prifsSh Ernvs,r,
At the same time British shock
troops and artillery were reported
harassing the enemy on the SOUTH
ern end of the front, just above the
Qattara Depression. while in the
center Axis forces were kept on the
defensive by continued shelling.
Heavy duststorms interfered with
aerial operations yesterday, but
Allied fighters made protective
sweeps over the lines and fighter
bombers strafed enemy positions, a
communique said.
Two enemy planes were reported
shot down over the front in Egypt
and three more were reported
knocked out of the sky over the
British Mediterranean base Of
Malta. Only one British plane was
lost in these operations, headquar-
ters said
Today's communique gave little
detail of the fighting west of Ell
Alamein, merely reporting: 1~nr
I'm the northern sector yesterday,
our troops drove off an attack by
the enemy on the northwestern area
of positions occupied during our
recent advance"
1t appeared, however, that the
hard-bitten Australian troops were
Tightening their grip on the positions
near Tel Ell Elsa.
1000 Axis Prisoners Taken.
Capture of the positions, an
nounced by British headquarters
yesterday, was accomplished in
sharp fighting during which 1900
Axis troops were taken prisoner and
18 enemy tanks were knocked out of
action. Guns and trucks also were
reported captured
(The British radio, quoting it's
correspondents at the front, said
a further advance was made by
British forces yesterday and that
TOO more prisoners were taken).
The operations carried out by the
Australians were the chief develop.
ment announced over the week enc
and represented an advance of 1C
miles on Marshal Rommers lef
flank since dawn Friday, when the
battle of Egypt was renewed after
a Today lull.
Dispatches from the front indi.
Gated that infantry had played &
major part in the fighting along the
coast, with mechanical forces in {
supporting role. The Australian.
were said to have carved out theil
gains at bayonet point
There was no indication that tank,
had been heavily engaged at an,
point on the front thus far in thu
renewed battle, and it appeared thai
both Marshal Rommel and Gen
Auchlnleck were conserving theiy
armored strength for a crucial mo.
ment.
Air Forces Heavily Engaged.
Both the Axis and Allied air force,
were engaged heavily, however, anc
the British said there were signs Of
increasing enemy aerial activity-in.
dlcatlng, perhaps, that Marsha
Rommel had obtained much needed
plane reinforcements.
Eight Axis planes-including three
big ,Junkers-52 troop transports
were reported shot down in fierce
dogf1ghts over the lines Saturday
and three more were destroyed dur.
ing enemy assaults on Malta. Tht
British said they lost three planes
IN those engagements
! Destruction of the three Junker
transports-each capable of carry
Ing 40 to 60 troops-brought to a
least Is the number of these plane
reported shot down in two days
1t appeared probable that some 6O'
Nazi troops had been destroyed will
the transports, British sources said
British and United States bomb
ers also pounded Axis communica
(See EGYPT, Page A-3)