Evening star., 1942-10-28
Sees Egypt Bottle
In Preliminary Stage
Military Critic Says Infantry
Must Open Way for Tanks
To Meet in Major Clash
By Maj. George Fielding Eliot.

By Maj. George Fielding Eliot.
We ought not to expect an early
| decision in the fighting in Egypt. The
| German position in the Alamein area is
one with a comparatively short front
| and with impossible obstacles on the
| fanks-the sea on the left flank and the
| Qattara Depression on the right. It
undoubtedly has been organized in great
depth. Indeed, we have had two such
positions facing each other ever since
| the German drive was stopped at
| Alamein by British troops taking ad-
vantage of the short front and secure
| f1anks, which are characteristics that
| work both ways. Each side has been
| preparing both for attack and for de-
| fense, since neither could be certain Of
| being able to strike first.
whenever possible" our own Field
Service Regulations lay down. fortified
localities are reduced by siege or by an
| attack from the rear following an
enveloping maneuver to accomplish their
| ample, the case at Tobruk, but at
| Alamein the two impossible flank
obstacles prevented German envelop-
ment of the British position and now
prevent the British from doing likewise
until they can push the Germans back
far enough to open up the southern
flank, or until they can detach one of the
German f1anks from its anchor" or
until they can break through in the
center and fan out behind the German
lines, thus creating two new f1anks to
envelop. when, because of secure flanks,
the isolation of such positions is impos-
sible by an initial enveloping maneuver
they must be reduced by direct attack
to break through at a weak point. The
break-through is followed by envelop-
ment of the f1anks created, to isolate the
separate parts" (F. S. R., U. S. Army.)
These regulations continue:
"The attack of fortified locality may
be divided generally into four phases.
In application related phases may over
lap particularly on weaker parts of the
front. Immediate exploitation of the
success of each phase is imperative.
These phases are:
"(A) Reducing the hostile outposts
system and gaining close contact
with the main position.
"CB) Breaking through the fortifca-
tions at the most favorable point.
"(C) Extending the gap by isolating
and reducing hostile emplace-
ments on its fanks.
I'D Completing the action by moving
mobile reserves through the gap
to complete the encirclement and
isolation Of remaining fortifca-
tlons while continuing the attack
against them from the front"
So far we have seen only the first
of these four phases and possibly the
beginning of the second This part
OF an attack Is mainly the work of
infantry, with strong air and artillery
support and the assistance of combat
engineers where required. It is not
proper use of armored troops to
throw them against unbroken fortif-
NollOlAo WllCIC lIlCy WILL COlIlc uIlucT WELL
regulated artillery fire; the popular idea
OF tanks breaking the way for infantry
under these conditions is, in fact, ex-
actly contrary to the best practice. 1t
is for the infantry to break the way
for the tanks The tanks come into
use chiefly in the fourth phase of
the attack as outlined; they are the
forces of exploitation.
Again to quote Field Service Regula-
tions:
"All armored force attacks contem-
plate the rapid transfer of shock power
and protected fire power into the vital
part of the hostile rear area from an
unexpected direction. The attack is
launched in mass in decisive direc-
ton with such speed and violence that
the enemy is afforded no time or op-
portunity to organize and coordinate
his reaction before the armored attack
mission has been accomplished" These
are the general considerations attend
ing armored attacks. AS to the par
tlcular case Of the exploitation of a
break-through, the regulations say:
when the fortified locality has been
preached throughout its depth, highly
mobile units are Immediately pushed
through the gap under the protection OF
troops holding the shoulders of the pene-
tration, of troops landed by air in rear OF
the Notifications and OF combat avia-
ton. Mechanized forces lead the way,
Once through the gap, mechanical forces
spread out fanwise, moving rapidly on all
roads leading to the hostile rear and to-
ward the rear Of Notifications not re-
duced, to disrupt hostile lines of COM
munication, to destroy signal communi-
cation, to block the movement of reserves
and to complete the generalization of
the enemy"
1t is, therefore, after the British in
fantry with its artillery and air support
has completed a break-through of the
German main position that we may ex-
pect to see the British armored troops
come in to action to exploit that break
through, and it is then that we may
expect major clash between British and
German tanks, as the latter are brought
up at that point to counterattack. Much
will depend upon the skill with which
these armored elements are used by both
sides in this decisive encounter. But we
must realize that many days of hard
fighting may elapse before this decisive
phase Of the struggle for Egypt is reached.
We are seeing at Alamein another cyan.