Evening star., 1942-06-29
Matruh Capture Claimed by Axis
AS Fighting Sweeps Nearer Suez;
Nazis Press Third Soviet Front
British Hint Bose
Loss; U. S. Planes
Sent Into Bottle


The Axis announced today that
its forces in Egypt captured Ma
truh this morning, thus reducing
the first of the defense strong
holds on the road to the rich
valley of the Nile, the naval base
of Alexandria and the Suez
Canal. The British did not deny
the claim.
But indication were that the AL
lied forces making up the 9Th Brit
ish Army had withdrawn to take
another stand in desperate search
for positions from which the Axis
juggernaut could be halted after its
impairment in isolated engagements
and reinforcement of the defense.
Not Last Bastion."
There was little doubt in London
that the Axis claims were true. but
a British military commentator de-
clared that Matruh was mot the
last bastior. between Tobruk and
Alexandria"
Continuous and heavy fighting
ragged on in a wild melee of men
and machines over the ever-broad-
ening battlefield around the south
east of Matruh, strategic railroad
center IT'S miles west of Alexandria
The Allies. including the United
States. were counting highly on air
power TO help turn the tide of battle
Many planes. including United
States Air Force units, have been
thrown into the struggle.
The Germans, on the other hand,
appeared also to have drawn heavily
on their air resources in Europe. to
challenge the Allies in the desert
skies.
British Inferior in Tanks.
British tactics seemed to call for
avoidance OF full-scale clash with
Field Marshal Erwin Rommel's
columns so long as the defenders
stood under the handicap of infer
iority in tanks.
On one point of the Axis claims
there was official British agreement
that Marshal Rommel's forces,
successfully by-pasSing Matruh's
western and southern defense po-
sitions in two days of battle had
reached around to the southeastern
or Nile Valley side of Matruh.
The Alexandria area was ralded
this morning by Axis planes, but
they caused little damage and no
casualties, according to the official
Egyptian report.
Berlin and Rome said that at
Matruh Marshal Rommel captured
more than 5000 prisoners and that
he was continuing the eastward
drive.
Raj Attacks Tanks, Trucks.
The 5000 figure suggested that the
bulk of Matruh's defenders had been
withdrawn. The Axis claimed
much larger prisoner haul-33,0 600
at Tobruk, just eight days ago when
that last British foothold in Libya
was captured,
Today's Raj communique from
Cairo contained no hint on the
course of the land battle. It re-
ported merely that Axis truck and
tank concentrations were attacked
throughout Saturday and last
nights, with large fires springing UP
between Matruh and Salum, at the
Libyan border, and that yesterday
fighters reconnoitered the foe and
provided cover for the defense forces.
The military commentator in Lon
don conceded the possibility that
Britain'S forces had abandoned the
Matruh area.
British headquarters in Cairo said
the struggle was spreading over a
very large area"
Taken BY Storm.
The German high command. in
a special broadcast communique. an
nounced that Matruh was taken by
storm despite stubborn enemy re-
siStance"
The British position had been re
tnforced by deep fortification works
and numerous minefields," the Ger
man command said.
"Thirty-SiX tanks we're disabled
and numerous batteries were de-
stroyed.
"A large amount of war material
fell into the hands of German and
Italian troops. The German Goth
light division particularly disting-
uished itself during the storming of
Matruh."
The special Berlin communique
was issued at 2 pm. IS am,
E. w. t.. The regular high COM
mand communique, issued a little
earlier. merely said Matruh was
encircled, but did not report its
capture.
By-Passed Matruh Yesterday.
Cairo reported that mobile and
armOred forces of both sides were
engaged in the bitter fighting.
British headquarters in Cairo said
yesterday that Axis armored forces
actually had by-passed imperial de-
fense positions west of Matruh, but
declared they were met by shock
troops.
(Spanish press carried a report
attributed to the New York cor
respondent of the EFE Agency
unconflrmed from any other
source-that United States troops