ALLIED AIR FORCE DOMINATES SKIES

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

ALLIED AIR FORCE DOMINATES SKIES

EMMY'S INACTION

Great Destruction Of Axis

Vehicles

United Press Association.—Copyright. Rec. 1 p.m. LONDON, July 22

Agency reports state that when the Bth Army launched its new attack heavy fighting raged throughout the day, with heavy tanks and guns engaged on both sides. The battle was rejoined in the central sector on a limited front. Our forces then joined in on the northern and southern sectors.

In the northern sector our troops occupied all of the Tel el Isa Ridge. In tne southern sector United Kingdom troops also made headway. Fierce fighting continues.

Allied fighters have given their support. The activity of the enemy in the air is on a small scale.

This attack breaks a three-day lull after the failure of the enemy to gain ground. The most recent official news from the battle front speaks of only artillery activity on both sides in the northern sector. Yesterday enemy transports were attacked by our bombers and fighterbombers.

One correspondent contrasts the Allied air activity with the complete absence of enemy air action. According to the latest reports enemy planes did not undertake a single bombing raid. The enemy air force seems to have taken its beating at El Daba and Fuka seriously.

In a heavy attack in the central sector our aircraft inflicted severe damage. In the southern sector they set a number of vehicles on fire. A correspondent states that in the last 4pur or five weeks our aircraft have ffceicted heavy transport losses on th»tfnemy. It has become impossible to the number of vehicles wrecked. ... Two New Zealanders have been decorated by the Duke of Gloucester in the course of a visit to the El Alamein area. Bombing Offensive The Cairo communique says there was artillery activity in the northern sector on Tuesday bv both sides. Large forces of our light bombers all day attacked enemy positions and vehicles, and many direct hits were scored and fires were started. The targets included about 1000 vehicles in the central sector, and lorries and infantry approaching the coastal road were badlv dispersed Fighter bombers in the dusk attacked vehicles in the southern sector, causing fires. Two enemy aircraft were shot down. Long range Allied fighters during a sea reconnaissance snot down one enemy machine near Sidi Barrani. Air activity over Malta was on a reduced scale. ahwi A large force of heavy Allied bombers carried out a daylight raid on shipping, and directly hit two medium ships in Suda Bay, Crete, and set fire to a pier, and scored a near miss on large ships. Other bombers raided Tobruk. Five of our planes are missing. Offensive-Minded N.Z. Troop# It is generally realised that the New Zealanders tne most in tne Western Desert, says uTT Evening Standard correspondent with tne New Zealanders. The front is rawly quiet for the New Zealanders, who keep up their famous night patrols. These picked intruders sleep in the hot days and work at night time. They carried out a typical patrol on Sunday night, returning early on Monday with more than 40 prisoners

s*?,® Italian Ariete Division, lney killed a similar number and destroyed a 105 millimetre gun, five anti-tank guns and ten machineguns, and gained much valuable information for the loss of two killed and six wounded. They moved off armed with rifles, bayonets, tommy guns, grenades, and travelled 8000 yards to the enemy lines. They returned minus two Bren gun carriers, which struck landmines. Their prisoners were young Italians, most of whom had arrived from Italy in the last ten days. None had been in Africa for more than a month. The correspondent was unable to give the patrol's strength, but it was only one of several New Zealand jobs that night.