Evening star., 1942-10-25
Upper Hand in Egypt
Apparently Won by
Allied Airmen
Desert AirfieIds Alive
With Activity as Flyers
Aid in lund Offensive
BY EDWARD KENNEDY,


AT AN ADVANCED STRIKING;
EASE OF THE ALLIED AIR
FORCES IN THE WESTERN DES-
ERT, Egypt, Oct. 24-United Ma
tons airmen, letting 60 with every
thing they had when the British
Bth Army struck with their offensive
against the Axis desert army, seem
TO have gained the upper hand
quickly in the first phase of the
fighting.
The air offensive really began four
Gays before the land forces cracked
through the Ell Alamein Line.
The strategy OF the terrific at
tacks on the enemy's air f1elds-to
knock out as many planes as pos
elble-appears to have given the
Allies initial command in the air,
This is the first North African
campaign in which the United
States Air Forces have been partic-
1Dating with full array of fighters,
rcedium and heavy bombers, flying
With the RAF, the South African
end Australian Air Forces.
Air Forces Shift Strategy.
When the land attack started, the
sir forces switched from the pre-
liminsry phase of concentration on
enemy air fields and went directly
for the Axis armored formations,
supply lines, communications and
troops formations.
Night bombers were active in CO.
operation with the artillery when
the way for the land move was
opened by the heaviest shelling yet
seen In the desert.
When the first flight of day bomb
ers crossed the front line at dawn,
they saw infantry already moving
through gaps in the Axis defenses.
Allied fighters generally outnum-
bered the planes the Germans and
Italians were able to put into the air,
but bombers were forced to run a
gantlet of heavy anti-aircraft fire
over enemy positions. This is ex-
pected to diminish as the main
German anti-aircraft guns. the
famous dual purpose SS-millimeter
fast-f1ring cannon, are forced to turn
attention increasingly toward the
attacking tanks.
Armored Forces Closing In.
AS each group of planes thunders
back to base new report of the tide
Of battle is brought by the pilots
and it seems that the main arnlored
forces of both sides are closing in
for the first decisive round.
The desert airfields are alive with
activity as the tireless ground crews
swiftly service the returning planes
and send them back into action
with fresh loads of bullets and
bombs.
1t still is too early to say exactly
how the attack is going but it is
apparent that more Allied strength
than ever before is being thrown at
the German-Italian lines and with
greater effort and coordination.
Crews Covered With Dust.
Now we'll into their first baptism
of major desert offensive warfare.
the American ground crews are so
covered with dust that it is difficult
to distinguish their uniforms from
those of the Raj. And they are
becoming such desert rats that
they are thoroughly accustomed to
the caprices of the sandy wastes
even scorpion bites.
Shortly after the rumble of artil-
lery began last night, one or two
Junkers bombed this area desultorily
but since then nothing has been
seen of the enemy hereabouts. Un-
less he is rushing heavy aerial REIN
forcements from Europe, which
doesn't seem likely, it is improbable
that he will be much in evidence
around here for while.