EGYPTIAN FRONT

Evening Star, Issue 24294, 8 September 1942, Page 3

EGYPTIAN FRONT

ROMMEL STILL RETIRING REARGUARD DETACHMENTS HARASSED (British Official Wireless.) (Rec. 11 a.rn.) RUGBY, Sept. ". A Cairo communique states: “On Saturday night our patrols were active in the northern sector. Yesterday our mobile columns and artillery in the southern sector continued to harass the enemy retiring westwards. They also attacked his rearguard detachments eastward of the minefield area. There was a slight increase in enemy air activity over the Ibattlo area.” Allied pilots in the Western Desert are reported to be amused by the attempts of the Axis broadcaster to pretend that the fighting in the El Alamem area is merely a reconnaissance in force by the enemy and not a full-scale effort. Some of the figures used to support the Axis claims to air supremacy over the desert are no less fantastic; British bomber crews and fighter pilots know the facts. The crews of light bombers, maintaining a shuttle service to bomb enemy concentrations of motor vehicles, which at times were 1,000 strong, took a keen interest in the massed metal below them flung against British positions in a vain effort to break through. To-day. as the result of the efforts of British light, medium, and heavy bombers, most sectors of the front were litered with the remains of enemy transport and tanks. Many tons of bombs were hurled down on large enemy columns in the battle area. The Axis may talk of patrol activity in the past six days, but those who bombed their huge concentrations know well enough that such announcements are merely a screen to cover the failure of the attempted advance. Several times since August 31 the enemy has put formations of at least 100 aircraft into the air in support of his troops during the battle. Some-’ times 40 or 50 Junkers 87’s, with an equal number of fighters, were tackled by our interceptor fighters, and enemy bombers were often forced to jettison their bombs and head for home, leaving some of their number in flames on the ground. The total enemy aircraft destroyed in the past six days is 55, while the British losses are much smaller.