The Waterbury Democrat., 1942-06-30
Nazi General Rommel
Meeting Resistance
tContinuod from Page u


! maneuver that might be desIgned
10 circle the Qattara depression and
strike directly AZ Cairo. catching the
eighth army from the rear.
Such q move By Rommel would
place Alexandria In an almost
hopeless position even u no direct
assault were attempted On that
naval base.
A middle eastern command COM
munique said that fierce fighting
continued throughout yesterday
over q wide area covering several
hundreds Of square miles between
MatEuh and Fiaka. 40 miles from
Alexandria, on the coast and the
oatlara depression inland.
British tank forces, driving
against superior numbers. attacked
The German and Italian armored
forces Of Field Mar nal Erwin ROM
mel west Of Faaka and forced an
enemy withdrawal.
But the Germans reformed 10 ad-
vance again, the coEninuniqne said,
and again we're engaged By the
British forces.
no information was available here
On dispatches from Cairo published
IN London that thousands Of Amer
lean troops. American air corps
personnel and planes and large
amount Of equipment had arrived In
Egypt ready for action,
New zeaianaeFs In -
But the cefnmunlaue said tia;
new forces of New Zealand troops
had been thrown into action and
IN their FIRST engagement with
enemy agua0He1 forces and infantry
son . Local victory.
They destroyed numerous enemy
tanks, the e0nmuniaue said, and
caused heavy casualties 10 a bayonet
attack on enemy infantry.
The e0mmuniaue showed that
while Axis forces had arrived IN
The area vest 81 FAika, there stiil
we're British forces south 0f Mat
ruth. or about 40 miles 10 tlae vest,
Here British motorized forces
WeFe striking ~ enemy formations
in an s4tenpt 10 slow R0mnleil.
THE present battle-ground was ~
80 area extending eastward, which
Is 70 miles vide at MatFmla and 80
miles wide 81 Fuka, the corridor be-
tweep the coast and the oattaFa
salt b0gs,
As TIE battle Cor AleKandgia and
Ire nile developed, N vas nalllounc.
ed that British Foreign Secretary
Antla0ny Eden had assured Egypt
Premier Mustapha Nailas Pasha
tbat the BFltifb government not
anly still vas resolved 10 defend
Egypiiap territory but that u had
available the way and means 70 put
tls defense plan into effect
sahas addressing Parliament last
= have been assured tllst the sit
liatiop Is satisfactory
re said ne was N constant n0Bs
taet with British dllsl0lnaie and
military leaders, following the eyoT
lbilons Of The hattie,
Referring 70 runners spFeadiiag ~
tie result ~ The British withdrawal
IN said that these we're Of no AIllF
p0Ftaaee 40 long % TIE British de-
tense was intact
although I can say nothing 81
the defense ne added, w ~ cote
ready and powerful
Ne kiaRa A. vet
There vas no lilaieaiiQD that flle
forces under General Rlr Claude
Alaehinleek, commanding he MID
ele HAsL, lad as vet found II adF
gagable - 0g possible - ~ make 4
frontal Stand against tlle more
powerful enemy army ~ q result
he front sian was W the alauld
slata which had characterized II
since tlle British retirement into
Egypt after ne eel ~ 10bruk,
11le hiilAkh klNpige forces aba9g
dfalad MatFnDi, 0il Ne coast no
aailes INSIDE hggllt ana D6o miles
from AlekanaFia, Without 3 defen6e,
aaenltllg y taeiieelly Illaefensihle,
~ Aehtlag took place there, fes
ports fEala tla IF0nt said, and No
British were not e0lnpelleG n ahallE
don ~ destroy Any eenslaeFable
amount 81 supplies,
lad n0t Offended 70 l1g N hald llle
MaigMb illle inlana II tlle ANS
forces continued llleir sweep eaats
waFd, Rnlallllg rs " ~ 4 steady
lengihenillg Df ALREADY long ealllE
9laihieatl0ll Nflae,
Defense IA depth Mlas emphasized
increasingly IA dispatches,
There vas ne llldienai0ll ~ yet
where tlle eighth aFll1g W0Ald eleet
~ make ne aehnltlVe stand before
AlekaEdFle,
MilliaFv quarters suggested Ne
Possibility tlat IL R0illDfl eells
aAnAed llls advance, Apparently A
much tll ~ attempt NJ Nall slle
AlaiI9 British army ~ " push "
haek, Al,ehlnleek flliellt defend ne
line which eNfAnAs aiaout a miles
llllabd fFoAa NJ Daba - tlle @atlaFa
Depression,
" DRha \ - miles east ~ Ma
tFah afla es nliies fFeDl Alexandria,
anst n flle east 81 " there n a
@aatFR bags,
g9g tlle Isament flge feeling seem.
- ~ he tI.at Ne NFliiah hepa iav
] Ia nV0fafna af1F AKA fr0N and IA