BRITISH GAIN MORE GROUND

Southland Times, Issue 24886, 28 October 1942, Page 5

BRITISH GAIN MORE GROUND

NEW POSITIONS HELD IN WESTERN DESERT

(United Press Association—Telegraph Copyright) (Rec. 1.10 a.m.) LONDON, October 27. The Bth Army has made further gains in its offensive on the Alamein front and it has held them in the face of Axis counter-attacks. An increase in Axis air activity has been reported from the Western Desert.

“During Sunday night our troops extended the area occupied in the enemy’s defence zone,” states the mid-day communique from Cairo, “and yesterday we held our gains. Our bombers attacked a variety of targets and our fighters destroyed 14 enemy aircraft. One enemy plane was destroyed by fire from one of our light bombers and another was brought down by ground fire. An enemy tanker off Tobruk burst into flames after being bombed and another vessel blew up after being hit by bombs and aerial torpedoes. Our long-range fighters shot down two Heinkels and three Messerschmitt 109’s fell to our fighters over Malta. Ten of our planes are missing.” An observer in the Western Desert explains that the fighting has not yet developed to the stage where it would be possible to say what parts of the enemy’s defences have been penetrated. It is impossible to say much more than that fighting is going on along the whole line. The Bth /Army gains new positions by night and holds them by day. Indeed most of the fighting takes place at night. At this stage it is mostly a battle of artillery and infantry, but tanks are playing an important part.