ALLIED FORCES WIN BETTER POSITIONS

Auckland Star, Volume LXXIII, Issue 167, 17 July 1942, Page 5

ALLIED FORCES WIN BETTER POSITIONS

EL ALAMEIN FRONT

Enemy Counter-Attacks

Thrown Back

United Press Association.—Copyright. Rec. 11 a.m. LONDON, July 16.

The positions of the Allied forces have been improved south of El Alamein in 24 hours of thrust and counter-thrust. The Bth Army has made a small but important advance. Yesterday's fighting on the Alamein front has been described by the 8.8.C. observer and is quoted by British Official Wireless, as saying: "The limited attack made in the central sector of the Alamein front in the early hours of Wednesday morning, has gone off successfully and yesterday we secured our objectives, the western end of a small ridge lying about ten miles inland from the sea. This ridge, which is not very prominent and might better be described as an irregular rise in the ground, is, nevertheless, a useful vantage ground overlooking Eart of a flat coastal plain. There as been a certain amount of fighting on and around it during the past week, mostly of a mobile character.

"The object of our attack was to move infantry and guns on to the western end of a ridge facing the central section area held by the enemy. The attack was carried out comfortably and according to plan. Yesterday afternoon the enemy counter-attacked on a small scale, but the effort to establish themselves on the ridge failed. A later attack, stronger and with tanks and infantry, was made but our armoured forces came up to help the defending infantry. The tanks clashed, but it was not a major engagement between the armoured forces of both sides, the number involved not being large.

"However, there was stiff fighting and the enemy succeeded in gaining a small foothold on the extreme western end. The enemy did cot achieve much by the strenuous coun-ter-attacks against the tip at Tel el Isa, nor is there any reason to believe that he gained a permanent acquisition. He managed to get back into Tel el Isa station and on to the ridge behind it, but we hold the ridge behind it from which we overlook enemy positions.

"The enemy will not find it easy to stay on the ridge behind the station, and already has been heavily shelled, bombed and strafed. A number of his tanks were accounted for in this area."

The Cairo communique states: "Our forces in the central sector, which advanced early yesterday, secured their objectives at the western end of the ridge to the south of El Alamein and captured some prisoners. We repulsed a counter-attack by the enemy.

"The enemy on Tuesday night succeeded in partially establishing themselves at Tel el Isa, but our trcops here continued to hold high ground. Our artillery yesterday heavily shelled the enemy in this sector, where our land and air forces destroyed a number of tanks.

"Light bombers, fighter-bombers and fighters were again employed in force. We three times scored direct hits on grounded enemy planes and successfully attacked gun positions. Our planes also attacked enemy headquarters in the battle area. Enemy bombing has slightly increased. Our interceptors shct down seven enemy planes and damaged others. Our bombers last night attacked Bengasi and started fires. They also again heavily attacked Tobruk. Enemy attacks against Malta were on a reduced scale. Two of our planes are missing from all these operations."