UNEASY LULL CONTINUES

Dominion, Volume 35, Issue 262, 4 August 1942, Page 5

UNEASY LULL CONTINUES

Patrolling In Desert LONDON, August 3. Land operations in Egypt are still confined to patrol activity. Today’s Cairo communique speaks of patrols and shelling in the southern sector of the El Alameiu front near the Quattara Depression. Fighter aircraft bombed targets in the battle area. An enemy headquarters was among objectives attacked by our .planes in the battle area In Egypt on Saturday. The lull on the El Alamein front throughout the week • has not been broken except for the usual patrols and barrages and also ceaseless air force activity overhead. All reports from Egypt emphasize the mosquito and fly scourges and also the heat. Correspondents nlaintaln that the lull is still an “uneasy” one with neither General Auchinleck nor Field Marshal Rommel “sleeping.” A message from Alexandria states that United States medium and heavy bombers on Friday night attacked Tobruk, where direct hits were made on a ship and dock installations. Antiaircraft guns were plastered. BETRAYED BY MUSIC German Party Surprised By New Zealanders (Official War Correspondent, N.Z.E.F.) WESTERN DESERT, August 2. ' Lucky was the thirteenth man in a German working party of the 115th lorried infantry regiment opposite the New Zealanders’ lines on the night of July 31. A patrol of 17 South Islanders set out at 9 p.m. Ninety minutes later, near an enemy strongpoint they heard a mouth organ being played quietly, surrounded by Germans. The chance to surrender was twice offered the Germans but they refused. Eleven Germans were killed by the New Zealanders and the remaining two were captured. Oue who tried to escape was shot aud the other was brought back. The New Zealanders’ only casualties were three wounded and all are safe. That has been the only close contact with the enemy for more than a week now. Patrols last night did not meet the enemy. Digging In Continues. Spasmodic shelling continues morning and night. As one New Zealand stall officer put it. “the only activity is the shuffling in the stalls after the end of the second round. The first round ended in a win for (he British. In the second round the British started well, but the round ended with even honours.” Digging in continues steadily. A morning tour of tlie front revealed blasting compressors and bulldozers working within a few hundred yards of the enemy’s wire and for several miles back. TWO TANKS CAPTURED Daring New Zealanders (Official War Correspondent, N.Z.E.F.) CAIRO, August 2. Two Mark 111 German tanks were destroyed and 16 prisoners, including a captain and a lieutenant, were captured by a New Zealand staff sergeant and three others (luring a night attack on Ruweisnt Ridge. While the New Zealanders advanced the staff sergeant and three others got separated from their battalion. They heard the rumble of enemy tanks nearby. The first tank encountered suddenly loomed from the darkness silhouetted against a distant burning truck. The New Zealanders carefully stalked its position, closed in quickly, made the crew prisoners and captured others in a nearby truck. They put the tank out of action with grenades. Later in the advance, the New Ze:ilandera bagged a second tank which was Irving to round them up. The tank crew made the mistake of moving into the glare of burning trucks. One o( the crew stuck his head out of the turret. There was a single rille shot and the tank commander swayed and dropped. The New Zealanders ran up and siting a few grenades through the turret, completing a good night's work. It was noted by the .New Zealanders that German tank crews sometimes panicked, shooting their own troops. In one case, the driver of a German truck was shot’ and the vehicle careered toward a Gerntnn tank which slewed round, firing into the truck and killing many of those inside