TANK BATTLE IN GAP

Dominion, Volume 36, Issue 35, 5 November 1942, Page 5

TANK BATTLE IN GAP

Rommel’s Lines Pierced

FURTHER GAIN

LONDON, November 4.

Latest messages from the Western Desert reveal that the Eighth Army has widened a bridgehead which it had established across the enemy lines, and is now still further widening it as tanks and infantry are thrown in. The enemy has brought up the 15th and 21st Tank Divisions in an attempt to stem the onslaught, realizing that the whole Afrika Korps is now menaced. The battle is being fought 1 5 jniles west of El Alamein, and eight miles from the coast. The infantry attack which broke through Rommel’s fixed defences at this point on Monday morning was immediately followed by a big tank battle, which still continues.

One correspondent, writing from an observation post, says that the battlefield all round is strewn with wreckage, including two British tanks which were blown up in the minefield. After an hours-long struggle in bright sunlight .yesterday, many tanks were burning on both sides of the line last night. Much ground was given up by the enemy tanks. The Germans had lost many tanks on the previous day, so Italian tanks were sent in yesterday. Within half an hour six of these fell out in Hames and smoke. “German tanks then came up, and the fiercest fighting since the new battle was joined is now raging across the desert sands,” the observer says. “We do not yet possess freedom of tank movement in spite of the fact that we have destroyed and put out of action quite a lot of enemy tanks and taken many prisoners,” said an

agency dispatch last evening. It added that the lighting in and round Akakir (7 miles west of Tel el Isa) was most lluid and still inconclusive. The Germans organized a triangular defence line in a section of the front along an old Roman road. The enemy’s dive-bombers have been knocked out of the skies in the last few days. The Allied air forces have been dropping 100 tons of bombs a day.

Reports from Berlin received in Stockholm indicate mounting anxiety about the issue of the desert battle. A Wilhelmstrasse spokesman admitted that an enormous number of British tanks and heavy artillery are pressing on the northern German flank. Berlin radio declared that the Battle of Egypt has reached a climax and a decision is expected soon. ROYAL NAVY HELPS Enemy Coast Shelled LONDON, November 3. a. naval communique from Alexandria' describes the operations at sea that preceded the battle. British coastal forces last week carried out operations in an area in the rear of the enemy’s positions. Fire was exchanged with shore defences. Enemy aircraft attacked, but all the attacking units returned to their base. GREATEST BATTLE Comment By Enemy LONDON, November 3. The German news agency declared that General Montgomery has thrown in about 500 tanks in the greatest battle of the whole African campaign. All attempts to break through yesterday failed. In spite of heavy losses. General Montgomery today persisted in his attempt to break through. A German communique says: “The battle continues with increasing violence. Our all-out counter-attack held a jienetration of the northern sectors by strong enemy tank detachments.” An Italian communique says: “The violent battle in Egypt continued on Monday with greater violence. The Axis forces bravely stemmed renewed pressure from powerful enemy armoured forces. The enemy suffered very heavy louses, and our losses were also high.” The Berlin news agency states that *lie British, on the night of October 31. again attempted to land strong forces on the Egyptian coast to attack the Axis troops from the rear, and that the coastal defences drove them off with heavy losses. FURTHER HUGE FIRES AT TOBRUK (British ollleial Wireless.) (Received November 4, 7 p.m.) RUGBY, November 3. Heavy American bombers attacked shipping in' Tobruk harbour yesterday, scoring direct hits and starting huge tires which sent 'billowing smoke to an altitude of 3000 feet. One enemy fighter was definitely shot down', and others were probably destroyed. Slukas made vain attempts to divebomb the advancing British and Empire troOjw in the desert, but were driven off, and intensive attacks were made by Allied aircraft. In all the air operations mentioned in today's communique at least 20 Axis planes were accounted for. Thirteen Allied plaues did not return.