Evening star., 1942-10-29
British Batter
Ronnle|' Lines
And Raid Crete
Allied Planes Keep
Axis Air Force
On Defensive
BY the Associated Press.

VII 1CISIISIVS
BY the Associated Press.
CAIRO, Oct. 29.-British head
quarters announced today that
the 9th Army had beaten off an
Axis counterattack in the Egyp-
tian desert and reported contin-
uing air attacks on enemy supply
lines and bases, including Crete.
Further losses were reported in
t1icted on Field Marshal Erwin Rom
mel's forces in a series of minor
tank engagements yesterday.
Fighting continues" the bulle-
tin added tersely, but gave no fur
ther details.
-Four more Messerschmitt- 109
fighters we're shot down by United
States fighters over the Egyptian
battle line, United States COM
munique announced today. The
enemy planes were knocked out in
dog fights, the war bulletin said, al
though the German flyers tried to
avoid combat with the United States
airmen.
The Axis air force was said to
have remained on the defensive
throughout yesterday as Allied
planes smashed at enemy landing
fields and forward positions.
Allied night fighters also carried
out protective patrols over the front
and shot down one Junkers SO,
headquarters said.
Crete Attacked at Night.
Nine enemy fighters in all were
reported destroyed during the day
in the Mediterranean theater
The attack on Crete, carried out
by night, was said to have set fires
at an enemy airdrome, ''
Allied torpedo-carrying aircraft
were credited with sinking a large
enemy tanker bound for North
Africa last night.
Enemy activity over Malta was
Ineffective and reduced in scale, y
the bulletin said
From the tone of the communique
it seemed evident that the Army
of the Nile, bent on inflicting the
maximum possible damage to the
enemy at minimum cost, was
maintaining the cautious but de-
termined pace of its land offensive
while subjecting Marshal Rommel's S
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artillery bombardment.
"a Reuters dispatch from Egypt
that the 9th Army had made no
forward movement yesterday and
that the scale of tank fighting
was nothing" as compared with
the armored action of the previ-
Gus day which itself was of linn
tied scopeo
Latest advices from the front in
dicated that 1t. Gen. B. L. Mont
gomery's desert-wise troops were
going methodically about the task
of widening gaps in the Axis de-
fenses and whiting down the
enemy's strength in preparation for
the main test to come.
June Mistakes Avoided.
While no spectacular advances
we're reported there were indications
that Gen. Montgomery's systematic
tactics were achieving results.
These tactics obviously were an
exemplification of the thesis which
the British have set forth repeat
edly in the past-that the conquest
of territory means little in the desert
and that the prime objective is not
to push the enemy back but to de-
stroy him.
From the cautious nature of the
9th Army's movements it appeared
too, that Gen. Montgomery was de-
termined not to repeat the mistake
which the British made last June
when they forged ahead too rapidly
and ran into trap.
Observers recalled how the 9th
Army, then under command of 1t.
Gen. Neil M. Ritchie, apparently was
administering a lacing to Marshal
Rommel southwest of Tobruk when
AVo nAfdllIAl6 dlulOlCu " Z .
plunged headlong into an ambush of
anti-tank guns prepared by the willy
Axis chieftain. A large percentage
of Gen. Ritchie's armored strength
was knocked out in a single day,
paving the way for quick counter
thrust by Marshal Rommel which
was halted only after the Axis forces
had come within 65 miles of Alex
andria.
Thus far both Gen. Montgomery
and Marshal Rommel apparently
have been using their tank strength
sparingly, although yesterdays
British communique reported that
an armored clash of fairly sizable
proportions had developed Tuesday.
In this action, in which German
tanks made their appearance for
the first time since the British
launched their drive last friday
night. the enemy was said to have
withdrawn after suffering consider
able losses. Previously Italian tanks
had been used by Marshal Rommel
exclusively in localized encounters.
Military authorities emphasized
tSee EGYPT, Page A-20.)