The Waterbury Democrat., 1942-09-03


 and the British guns and the Allied planes, including those of the United States Army Air Corps i2th and pBth bombardment group and the b7th fighter group, threw Q contin- uous rain of steel throughout their battle area,
 A terrific fire was directed at the enemy armored forces and trans port concentrations all the way bee tween the peak and the ridge, while the enemy remained static.
 The British mobile forces, on harassing attacks, struck out from the east and the southeast, at the extreme end of the line toward the pattara Bogs, and destroyed many German vehicles
 It was indicated here that the British had outfianked the Germans who sought to outflank them.
 Air activity intensified into wild and continuous battle
 Allied planes shot down at least Lx German Stuka dive bombers and nine fighters yesterday.
 Torpedo carrying British planes attacked enemy reinforcement ships off the Libyan coast and claimed at least one direct hit, and long range fighters attacked other enemy ves- sels.
 First Time Monday
 The German Afrika Korps, spear- head of the attack which Field Marshal Erwin Rommel hoped would smash the British Eighth Army to take him on to Alexandria, Suez and the greatest triumph of his career, first approached the British lines late Monday, feeling out their strength.
 They retired to camp for the night and started new attack Tuesday. They reached the main British defense lines again that afternoon, but they found the Brit ish ready for a decisive test of strnegth they retired again, to re- main inactive throughout yesterday.
 United States Army Air Corps, operating with the British and South African air forces, were breaking all their own records for intensity of operations as the bat tie developed on this fifth day of an evident attempt by Rommel to break through Go Suez.
 Lieutenant General B. L. Mont gomery commanding the British 8th army under General Harold R. L. c. Alexander, said at his field headquarters that up to yesterday:
 Tn no part of the front has the enemy penetrated our organized de- tended areas"
 Rommel sought to roll up the British southern flank. down toward the Qattara Bogs, and strike north ward to the main coastal road at a point about five miles east of Fl Alamein and 55 miles west of Alex andria.
 General Montgomery gave the first picture of the battle in the fol- lowing review:
 h the northern sector Sunday night the Germans made two raids before midnight. The first, against the Australians, was a failure. The second forced the West Yorkshire regiment to give ground slightly. The position was restored by 2 a. m. Monday by the Essex regiment.
 The Imperial troops made two raids the same night. The South Africans took 5l Italians prlson- CTS. New zealanders took 30.
 Germans Went Ahead
 Monday morning, in the southern sector, the German columns moved forward around and northward of the Himeimat Peak and passed through the British mine fields, with the pick of the German Afrika Korps engaged.
 It was apparent by 10 a. m. that the Germans were moving success fully.
 By p. m. the Germans had passed through the fluid advanced part of the British front as distinct from the main defensive positions, and had started to move northeast ward.
 By s D. m. the Germans were feeling out the main British posi- tions. They did not press home an attack but bivouacked for the night.
 Monday night in the northern and central sectors the Australians took 100 Germans in a raid, and the South Africans took l2. The New Zealanders made a raid of their own.
 Tuesday morning the Germans continued to probe the southern end of the British line with their entire armored corps.
 By 5:30 p. m. the Germans showed signs of attacking the southern flank and advanced at three points
 The British accepted the chal- lenge. The result was that the Germans did not press their at- tack but again bivouacked.
 There was no night activity.
 There had been no indication that the small United States army tank force in the main British line had been in action.
 American planes raided the im- n0rtant harbor of Candid, on Crete island, and reported probable hits on dock facilities and on four to five enemy ships.
 ElTst TWO DayS Ddtltt With the Forward Imperial De- aense Forces on the Alamein Front, Sept. 2.-(Delayed)-tUP)-In the first 24 hours of the fighting at the extreme southern end of the Egyptian front, the British eighth army inflicted heavy losses on the German 18th and 2ist armored di- visions, 1t is possible to reveal to- day.
 British artillery, including 25- pounder guns, during these "A hours destroyed or severely damaged at least three times as many German tanks as the British lost.
 Italian tanks made the penelra- ton to the farthest point the Axis forces advanced toward the north east. The Germans on the Italian left flank bore the brunt of the attack
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