Evening star., 1942-09-06
Egypt
Continued From First Page J

ground since his initial probing
thrust against the Allied line began
last Monday.
Axis Prisoners Taken.
A number CT Axis prisoners, about
half of them Italians and the other
half members of the Goth German
light infantry, were taken.
This Allied attack started Thurs
day night and fairly heavy fighting
continued through yesterday, when
Marshal Rommel made three sharp
but futile counterattacks in an ef-
fort to dislodge the New zealanders.
The latest flare-up of ground
fighting was followed last night by
burst of aerial activity In which
Allied fighters shot down nine enc
my planes, three near Alexandria
and five over the desert battle area
Two of the craft bagged in the
Alexandria vicinity were Italian
Cant bombers.
The aerial operations were ham,
pered somewhat by the weather, but
Allied airmen made a determined as
sault on Axis vehicles. Reeonnais-
sance pilots brought back reports
today that they left the forward
area Uttered with burned-out ma
chimes.
British armored and mobile forces
kept up pressure throughout the
day on Marshal Rommel's principal
concentrations in the Himeimat,
north of the Quattara depression.
Limited Victory Claimed.
At the weeks end, British military
sources credited British arms with
limited victory in the sparring
which Marshal Rommel started in
preparation for his all-out cam
paign aimed at Suez, Alexandria
and the Valley of the Nile.
Britain's ank-busting 25-ponnders
and a new 4.5-inch howitzer were
credited with infiicting heavy losses
on Axis arnor. Military quarters
suggested that Gen. Sir Harold Alex
ander, the British Near East COM
mander, might press forward with
an offensive of his own if, as some
sources believe, Marshal Rommels
quick Withdrawals were prompted
by supply difficulties.
Though the big battle is yet to
come, front line accounts said that
in the last five days Marshal Rom
mel's losses had been considerable
Casualties were said to have beer
especially heavy among his heavy
tanks humping into British tanks
and artillery.
At the start of the Axis opera
tions the German leader sent hi'
Goth Light Infantry, an elite or
ganization of picked men, eastward
and slightly north of his tanl
columns with the apparent inten
ton OF cutting through the New
Zealanders and joining up with hi
armor after turning northward be
hind the New Zealander positions
But they failed to get through tn,
Allied forces.
In the coastal area farther to tn
north, Australians continued thei
speciality of night raids which Axi
prisoners admit are terrifying.
Good Training for Units.
The nature of the operations 81
far has provided good training TO
new tank units just out from Eng
land and for the United State
token force with British tank unit!
The caution the enemy is exercis
ing and the inroads already mad
on his tank strength have dissi
pated any feeling there might hay
been that German armor might h
invincible.
British bombers and torped
planes which raided an Axis convc
in the Eastern Mediterranea
Thursday night we're reported
have scored torpedo hit whic
halved a medium -sized merchal
vessel.
A recapitulation on this raj
which had been reported previousl
showed that, all told, three shil
were hit and set afire and that thrt
hits were scored on an Axis d,
stroyer.
Allied reconnaissance planes r,
ported one medium merchant vess
was standing still the next day ar
a second ship was burning, with
hospital ship standing by.
r. A. F.. long-range fighters BILE
up or damaged 80 gasoline trucl
apparently fully loaded and headil
eastward between Salum and 81
Barrani in Western Egypt.