The southern news., 1942-07-04
FIERCE BATTLE
r RAGIN G IN
MIDDLE EAST

LONDON-The Battle of Egypt
has become battle for Suez. A
crucial phase of the fight to de-
fend, not merely Egypt and the
Nile Valley, but Britain's whole
position in the Middle East has
been reached.
The announcement that Gen. |
Sir Claude Auchinleck has taken
personal command of the British
Eighth Army in succession to
Lieut.. Gen. Neil Ritchie underlines
the magnitude of the crisis in
Egypt. 1t emphasizes the fact
that the whole strategic problem
of defending the Middle East a.
gainst Hitlers giant pincer move
ment aimed at the Suez Canal
hinges to a large extent on the
outcome of efforts to check GEN
eral Field Marshal Rommel's
Whirlwind drive toward Alexandl ia
and Cairo.
In the almost complete absence
of any detailed accounts of the
conflict, the impression in London
! is that the Eighth Army, after
| withdrawal from Matruh is fall
ing back to positions nearer the
Nile while bringing up reinforce
| ments in preparation for a final
clash with Marshal Rommels pan
zer divisions.
The gravity of the threat to
Alexandria, Cairo and Suez itself
has begun to be realized fully
| 0l1f of hn iej
emphasized that the final issue
still is undecided. There has been
no major battle between British
and Axis forces since the one
fought in Libya, if interpretations
placed here on meager reports
from Cairo are correct. There has
been fierce fighting right along.
particularly in the wide sector
south and east of Matruh. But
the general belief is that this has
| been mainly between Marshal Rom
mels advance forces and the
| British rear guard and mobile
columns which have been attempt
ing to harass and delay the en-
emy rather than meet him square,
| ly.
| In other words, the attitude
here is that the situation is worse
strategically and potentially than
, it is tactically and actually. Mar
shal RommePs advance beyond
Matruh brings Axis forces within
dangerous striking distance of
Alexandria. 1t also is believed
that another Axis column has
reached silva Oasis further south
in the desert from which a Sec
ond threat to Cairo may be de-
veloped. Taken in conjunction
with the possibility of a heavy
air-borne attack from Crete, and
in view of the valuable airdromes
lost to the British and now in
the hands of the Axis, the stra-
tegic picture in the Middle East |
admittedly is dark.
Tactically, on the other hand, |
the position, although serious, is
far from hopeless. The Eighth /
Army apparently is largely intact |
although it admittedly has lost |
much material. 1t is understood |
to have received reinforcements !
cb4AQ I1lSSC ISpOIIS SPEAK OIL Gl6- !
ments of the New Zealand Ex-
peditionary Force now taking
part in the battle. In other words,
all evidence points to the possi-
bility that General Auchinleck
merely is practicing sound tao
tics of defense in depth, letting
Marshal Rommel draw out his
supply lines while maneuvering
into the best position from which
to attack.
The loss of Matruh is admitted
to be very serious one But
messages from Cairo claim that
it was evacuated and imply that
I this was done deliberately as part
of a preconceived plan. The Axis
claim to have captured $4,000
prisoners there is believed to be
exaggerated although it is admit
ted that part of the British rear
guard May have been cut off
during the withdrawal