Heaviest Fighting In Desert History

Auckland Star, Volume LXXIII, Issue 172, 23 July 1942, Page 5

Heaviest Fighting In Desert History

BIG ALLIED ATTACK

N.Z.E.F. And Indians Push Behind Terrific Barrage

(United Press Association.-Copyright.-Reo. 1.30 p.m.) rr . • , „ LONDON, July 22. Troops of The Bth A " P a, ° ng ** Wh ° l<s ° f the front. ■ ~t h Arm y ar f carrying out their first co-ordinated offensive ,n all sectors, and the fighting is fierce, as also is the Th"* f ° rc j B . have occupied the entire sector and Skit* * ha u Ve " ached thdr ob i ective the central 3re in aU, d o„ ,h VA V 'oT"" !n "" Wh "' ~ A correspondent in,he >n a radio message, states that war m » ' h « °< ' h = whoU ar in the Middle East. Describing the opening of the present fh<Tbritlsh a r tnTerv ,tcom ™nced in the central sector, where the British artillery opened up with tremendous weight. The desert shook with the burst, of shell, in the most massive barrage eve" ImTnL'J,' "" L°T an attack was but n ° ®°oner Had they done so than our heavy bombers fU " WeigHt l ° th ® heaVy P ound^g

Fierce Enemy Resistance Rnw.P 1 ? eW glanders and the Indians moved forward from m»E J,',n ge ' fi * ht,n S inch of the way. The enemy turned T A mo ' ta " on the advancing forces, but our men were not stopped and swept on to their objective and took a strongstand against all attempts by the enemy to dislodge them took ui e n o?w anCC be ¥"? e , a ', ly in , the mornin *- The Australians South Afr ? "l °" !l n ? ge ' anJ ' n tHe Bame BeCt ° r tHe South Africans also moved up. In the south, infantry of British cou'nter-attacks ,ng their OWn advanc e »n apite of some Axis

_ j h 'i®* m centre - Briti «h tanks had come into action and those of the enemy moved up to engage them, but how wideS™ „ engag ? ment became, or in what numbers the enemy forces appeared, is not yet known.

7 £ enen \ y has P"V °P f""ous resistance to the constant « k ° Ur f tr< ?° P9 - T . he , e ? tent of the move westward of our If .1 l # ?k u"" BtnCtly limi r ted ' and there has been nothing • a break through or a sweep forward.

The R.A.F. continued its amazing performances in North Africa yesterday when it made over 100 sorties with light bombers. COrr " po " d ® nt there was no effective enemy 5m ? °PP oß,t,on - The Luftwaffes inactivity is believed to be due to the success of our attacks on aerodromes on the enemyoccupied Egyptian coast. It is thought that many more enemy aircraft were then damaged than has been claimed.