Evening star., 1942-07-07
Shipping at Bengosi
Fired in Daylight
Raid by Allies
By the Associated Press.

CAAnO, July I.-OnQeT con -
tinued pressure on the ground
and heavy attack from the air,
the Axis invaders of Egypt have
drawn back westward on their
southern flank in the battle area
OF Ell Alamein, a British COM
munique disclosed today.
Several small enemy columns were
engaged and dispersed, the British
announced, but the principal land
activity was cannonading on both
sides.
Aloft, American and British heavy
bombers by daylight set fires and hit
shipping at Bengasi, principal Axis
supply port deep In Libya, and
British air raids just behind the
lines spread fire and confusion
among the enemy. f
The main Allied blows appeared
to be these widespread air attacks.
(The fact that the Germans
and Italians were pulling back
their southern flank despite
absence Of any great land fight
ing indicated q fear Of being
outhanked.
"a British military commen-
tator in London said the line,
once straight north and south,
now was bent like a fishhook and
that Marshal Rommel appeared
more reluctant to join action as
his communications came more
into danger.)
Small Scale" Air Raids.
While the enemy struck at the
Nile delta area, IS to 10 miles east
ward, with an overnight air raid
described as small scale" Allied air.
craft bombed and stra1ed areas about
El Daba and, between Matruh and
Tobruk.
The British nevertheless were
under, no illusion that the threat to
Egypt and their Alexandra naval
base was erased.
Although steady stream OF
troops, tanks and guns was moving
up to strengthen the British, they
conceded that Marshal Rommel's
position was strong and that he
probably was receiving reinforce
ments also.
The heaviest British ground blows
thus far in the attempt to clinch the
initiative have been struck by ar
tillery. Big guns, rumbling almost
constantly for 4s hours, have
knocked out numbers OF German
tanks.
Ridge Capture Biggest Gain.
A night assault, in which the
British took an Axis strong point
between Fl Alamein and . ridge to
the south, was Gen. Sir Claude J.
e. Auchinleck's most important gain
to be. reported up to today in the
comeback effort.
Britain's commander in chief, now
in active command at the front, is
facing almost all Marshal Rommel's
North African forces concentrated
in an area running about IL miles
inland from the FL Alamein region
and roughly IL miles to the west.
Both sides are spent after almost
six weeks Of ceaseless battle in the
tiring dry heat of the desert and it
is too early yet to say whether the
British have the strength left to
try for q knockout.
Accounts from the Axis side indi-
Gated that the British, at least
temporarily, were winning the race
to mass the greater strength Of men
and arms on the critical El Alamein
line.
Swiss correspondents in Berlin
said Nazi military sources conceded
yesterday that the British had taken
the offensive with strong land, sea
and air reinforcements.
They noted 4 tone of reserve in
German reports, in contrast with
last weeks confidence, emphasizing
Nazi mention Of surprising" Brit
ish tank resistance, large numbers
of British and American submarines
off North Africa, apparent British
air superiority and still-arriving re-
Inducements.