BRITISH WIDEN BREACH

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

BRITISH WIDEN BREACH

NEW ZEALAND TROOPS ADVANCE

(Rec. 7 p.m.)

LONDON, Oct. 26.

The British United Press correspondent with the Bth Army, Robert McMillan, says that the British have widened their break in the German lines and that the New Zealanders have advanced. The Germans have counter-attacked, but have been repulsed. Australian forces held these attacks while the Highlanders fought a battle of great gallantry over a strong point which the enemy hotly disputed. English, ■ Empire and Allied infantry divisions, fighting hard in all the battle areas of the Western Desert, are reported to be making progress towards certain objectives ana the number of Axis prisoners and casualties—the prisoners are already reported to total 1450 —is rising. Reuter’s special correspondent with the Bth Army cables this information in a dispatch received in London this afternoon.

He adds that early in the battle several scattered clashes occurred between Allied and German tanks west of the Alamein line. One British heavy tank formation, emerging from a wedge driven through the enemy’s mine-fields by the initial infantry assault, was by the evening still holding on despite heavy shelling from artillery and antitank guns. MANY PREPARED POSITIONS

During the last 24 hours, says Reuter’s correspondent, the Allied forces have made no further progress, but have retained the ground taken early in the offensive. More armour is now engaged and artillery is in action continuously along the whole front. The nature of the terrain and the narrowness of the front, plus the large number of prepared enemy positions which must be overcome by frontal assault make it unlikely that the Bth Army will secure rapid territorial gains. Cabling from the desert on Sunday, Mr McMillan says that the second round in the great desert battle has begun. The Bth Army in the first day’s fighting gouged a wide gap in the enemy lines. They went in last night to deliver a second hammer-blow like the first. This attack began with a barrage which started at 10 p.m. on a scale reminiscent of the heavy barrages on the Western Front in the last war. Tanks armed with hard-hit-ting guns have been poured into the gap where they have engaged the enemy’s armour, although so far Field-Marshal Rommel has used only medium tanks. In the past 24 hours Field-Marshal Rommel’s carefully organized defence works have been severely damaged by the 51st Division, Australian, New Zealand and British troops, backed up by South Africans and Indians. Infantry attacks were also launched last night between the Meteiriya and Ruweisak Ridges. What happened so far is that we have made a break into the enemy’s lines. It is now the task of the tanks to make the job perfect with a clear break through. POCKETS MOPPED UP

The third day of the Western Desert battle saw no further important advance by oui- troops. The Times correspondent with the Bth Army says that the enemy’s defences were probed at various points and small pockets of opposition were mopped up. “Broadly speaking,” he said, “our troops are endeavouring to gain room for an armoured force to deploy. No really large enemy tank concentration has so far showed up. Hard fighting of the attrition type may be expected for some days. The enemy’s positions have been deeply penetrated, but it may be some time before the gains are able to be fully exploited and a way made for the armoured columns to operate in the open unhampered by minefields. i

The Axis defensive positions are elaborate and will have to be overcome by hard fighting, in which we can certainly count on stronger ‘’air support than the enemy and also probably more ample reserves of men and material. If the strafing of the Axis communication lines of the last two months has prevented the enemy from building up reserves the Middle East Command can hope to surmount the obvious difficulties of the tactical position and the strength of the defences by simply pounding until the enemy can stand no more because of the shortage of supplies. Other sources state that English, American, Australian and South African airmen are maintaining a non-stop air offensive. Smoke from innumerable fires is rising from the battle area and also from the enemy rear where trucks, tents and ammunition dumps have been destroyed. The enemy’s air activity increased to a marked extent yesterday and the Italians and Germans also maintained a heavy and accurate anti-aircraft fire, but the Allied airmen lost only three planes over the battle area, while shooting down at least seven enemy planes.