British Armoured Attack In Desert

Auckland Star, Volume LXXIII, Issue 166, 16 July 1942, Page 5

British Armoured Attack In Desert

MANY PRISONERS

Enemy Morale Breaking Under Allied Air Blows

(U.P.A. and British Official Wireless.—Rec. 1.30 p.m.)

LONDON, July 15

A new operation has begun in the desert battle. The British armoured forces have taken the initiative in the centred sector, where until yesterday there had been relative quiet. The objective of the attack is a limited one, but is bound to be causing serious embarrassment to the enemy.

Fighting went on all day to-day, and it is known that so far the operation has been in the main successful, and our troops have taken a substantial number of prisoners.

By holding the enemy in the northern sector and obtaining the initiative elsewhere, the Allies have seriously hampered the enemy.

There has been a comparative lull in the El Alamein area, but the movements of enemy units have suggested that an attack may be expected of a menacing nature. The Times correspondent in the Western Desert says the enemy is still giving attention to the northern positions.

Our troops have handled the recent daylight attacks so severely that the enemy made a night attack, first sending in tanks to breach the defences and following up with lorries of infantry. He took some small isolated positions, from which we threw him out at dawn, inflicting heavy losses.

Our air support has been overwhelmingly superior to the enemy's throughout the desert campaigns, but only now is this having a decisive effect. Our ceaseless air attacks and the accuracy and ferocity with which they are carried' out are beginning to break down enemy morale.

The Times correspondent, continuing, says: "Any disappointment that we have not been quick to follow up the advantage gained when we repelled the enemy s advance into Egypt and placed him on the defensive may be mitigated by the consideration that our forces are not only growing daily stronger, but have been rested and refreshed after many weeks of gruelling fighting. Meanwhile the enemy is constantly being harried by the R.A.f! raids. Fresh German infantrymen, believed to have been flown in from Greece and Crete, are likely to be in better condition than the enemy troops who have been fighting throughout the campaign. The newcomers are believed to be a relatively small part of the Axis forces. In this area our preliminary work for the expected battle has been done well by the R.A.F. and fresh troops."