CASUALTIES SUFFERED

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

CASUALTIES SUFFERED

Concentrated Fighting

LONDON, October 26.

The British Broadcasting Corporation’s observer w'ith the Bth Army has cabled this survey of the fighting during the past two days and three nights:— “Though it is not possible to give details of the exact parts of the front where the heaviest fighting has taken place there are naturally certain zones where the Allied offensive has penetrated more deeply than others. The operations cover the whole front and are not limited to one sector only, as was the last German offensive of some weeks ago. “No early decision of the battle can be expected. So far the main points that seem to be emerging from the news are that artillery fire and infantry attacks are continuous and that, although yesterday there were armoured clashes, there has as yet been nothing in the nature of a major tank battle.

“The encounter seems to be taking on more of the aspect of a battle of the last war than anything we have seen out here so far. There are no continuous trench lines as in' the last war, but there is something distinctly reminiscent of it about the aerial preparations, the intense artillery fire and the infantrymen advancing to make a gap for tanks rather than the tanks doing it for them. “The Bth Army is fighting its way up a gradually widening corridor and on the scale of the present battle it is bound to b? a highly concentrated affair, at least until Mersa Matruh is reached. For the same reason casualties must be expected on both sides—perhaps heavy casualties—before there is a decision and all the indications so far suggest that casualties have both been suffered and inflicted.

“Yesterday enemy air activity in the battle area was rather heavier than before and there has been some bombing of our troops by Stukas, but this does not mean that there has been any slackening in the supremacy the Royal Air Force holds over the Luftwaffe.” TROOPS OF BTH ARMY Large Free French Force

(8.0.W.) RUGBY, October 26. The French forces with the Bth Army are the largest yet to participate in Allied operations in the Western Desert. They are commanded by General Edgar de Larminat. Units under General Koenig, the defender of Bir Hacheim, have already engaged the enemy in one sector in the present advance. General Koenig’s men, who suffered severe losses at Bir Hacheim, have since been reinforced. Marines, composed mainly of Bretons, Parisians and Foreign Legionaries, form the backbone of General Koenig’s force. Among the troops attacking in Egypt are the 44th (Home Counties) Division, which is a comparatively recent arrival in the desert, though it took a prominent part in the defeat of the Axis offensive in September. It formed part of the 3rd Corps in Flanders in 1940. The 50th (Northumbria) Division also served in France, where it made a counter-attack at Arras. Its skilful withdrawal from the Gazala position earlier this year is also recalled. The 51st (Highland) Division was in Lorraine with the French. Then it was transferred northwards when the Germans attacked, but only a few thousand men got away when the division was trapped at St. Valery. The division has now been reconstituted and this is the first mention of its appearance in the Middle East. The 4th Indian Division has already covered itself with glory from the days of the first Libyan offensive. The Ist South African Division fought in Somaliland, Ethiopia and the Libyan offensive last November. BIG RAID ON MILAN Dominion Airmen Present LONDON, October 26. Three New Zealanders took part in the Lancasters’ daylight raid on Milan, Flying Officer R. 0. Calvert, D.F.C., of Waikato, Pilot Officer H. J. Bariey, of Auckland, and Sergeant E. Waters, of Hamilton. Pilot Officer Barley dropped a 40001 b bomb, which the crews call “cookies.” Pilot Officer Barley said: “As we climbed to get out of the way of the blast we saw the factory coming skyhigh towards us so I guess we hit it.” flying Officer Calvert said: “We made our run at 4000 feet and bombed on the stiplated time. Then we went to 800 feet to allow our gunners to shoot up a couple of factories and also a goods train.” New Zealanders also raided Genoa, but the Air Ministry is not releasing their names at present.