Evening star., 1942-06-27
Russians Check. New Nazi Drive;
u. S. Britain Pledge New Front;
Axis Attack on Matruh Reported
Grand Assault in
Egypt Started,
Rome Indicates
BY the Associated Press.

CAIRO, June 27.-British head
quarters reported today that
Axis forces of Field Marshal Err
win Rommel had moved up to
within Is miles of Matruh, about
lis miles into Egypt from the
Libyan frontier.
tThe Italian high command
said Axis motorized forces have
made contact with the defenses of
Matruh." indicating that Marshal
Rommel had opened his grand
assault in the four-day-old battle
of Egypt
The position of Axis armored
divisions indicated a l5-mile ad-
vance along the coast toward Mat
rub, restricted only by light parry
ing action Of British mobile forces
There was no major engagement
yesterday a communique said. Our
covering forces were in contact with
the enemy's forward troops through
out the day"
May Be Awaiting Supplies.
The advance of Marshal Rom
mel's armored and motorized troops
concentrated along a five mile front,
was slow by comparison with his
earlier drives Of from 40 to so miles
day, indicating to the British that
he might be awaiting the arrival Of
fresh supplies before starting an all
out attack
Hammering OF major Libyan bases
by British and United States Army
Air Force bombers and strafing of
German Italian columns hindered
the movement of food. water, oil
and munitions necessary to main
tain the invading field army
Can italian communique en-
phasized the repeated and vio-
lent encounters with enemy
bomber formations" and asserted
that Axis planes had shot down
43 British aircraft, while anti
aircraft defenses sent another
crashing into the desert in
flamesD
Moreover, 1t was announced in
Alexandria. less than 200 miles be-
hind the defense lines of 1t. Gen
Neil M. Ritchies 9th Army, that
speedy American-built motor tor
pedo boats had arrived to augment
the British fleet
Capable OF a speed of more than
IS knots, the craft already are
credited with sinking three Axis
vessels of Libya and removing sew
eral hundred British soldiers and
sailors from Tobruk under heavy
bombardment just before that port
fell last Sunday.
Warships Standing BY.
British warships are standing by
for orders to stream out and engage
coastal formations from the sea.
The main invasion force was made
up of three armored divisions sup
ported by motorized infantry and
the initiative was clearly still in
their hands.
Military observers said they had
three possible courses:
l. A frontal attack on Matruh. a
fortified port linked to Alexandria
by rail as we'll as sea supply lines.
2. An attempt to negotiate the
hill-rimmed salt and sand marshes
of the vast Qattara depression,
farther inland.
3. To swing south toward the
Nile by way of the silva Oasis.
The British ruled out none Of
these possibilities, but said that-on
the basis of present dispositions
the first appeared most likely.
Helpful to British.
The Qattara depression Is
ly 200 miles northeastward from the
silva Oasis area to point only 40
miles from the coast.
Below sea level, its loose, shifting
sands make tank warfare virtually
impossible. It's advantage to the
British is that they are able to
mass the bulk of their forces in the
area between the depression and
Matruh, counting on the depression
to protect their left flank
If the Axis forces do not choose
to attack ir the coastal zone they
will run up against the natural de-
fenses of the depression or be forced
to travel hundreds of waterless miles
out of their way in a circle into the
desert southwark.