BAYONET CHARGE BY BRITISH

Southland Times, Issue 24888, 30 October 1942, Page 5

BAYONET CHARGE BY BRITISH

Nazis Show Skill (Rec. 8.40 p.m.) LONDON, October 28 The British United Press correspondent with the Bth Army in a delayed dispatch dated October 26 says: “Crouching in an observation post all night on Sunday I watched our troops carry a position at the bayonet point. By dawn a strong ItalianGerman force was pocketed on a strip commanded by our artillery. The enemy threw in Italian tanks as a stopgap, most of which were of the type called 13’s. Our six-pounders quickly got to work and the Italians did not relish their cannon-fodder role. Many jumped from the burning machines with their hands upraised. “The Germans showed their usual skill in an emergency and quickly rushed up mobile infantry tanks, anti-tank guns and the deadly 88 millimetre guns, which they massed in front of the bridgehead we had gouged in the Italian-German lines.

“The enemy has lost his outer defence, but he holds positions mainly composed of anti-tank guns lined with mine-fields. They are as good as a solid front line. Whenever FieldMarshal Rommel realizes we are likely to break in he sends tanks to engage and delay us while his sappers sow new mines. When our tanks try to cope with the mines the 88 millimetre guns go into action.” LANDING-GROUND ATTACKED A dawn attack on the Axis landing ground at Fuka on Tuesday was a real Allied operation. American bombers swooped in at daylight, caught the Italians unprepared and dive-bombed and machine-gunned planes, trucks and tents. Italian fighters got into the air and four were shot down by the Allied fighter escort. An Englishman, a Scotsman, a Canadian and an Australian each got one. As American fighter-bombers completed an afternoon raid on the landing grounds, at El Daba, 20 Messerschmitts, 20 Stukas and 20 Capronis came on from the sea. The Americans, accompanied by the Royal Air Force and by South Africans, immediately attacked, though heavily outnumbered and shot down three Messerschmitts, four Capronis and two Stukas and also a stray Macchi for the loss of one Royal Air Force machine and one South African plane. Istanbul reports say that, last week’s American raids on Navarino burned out three transports and a barque. Greek patriots then attacked the Italians attempting to reach the shore and inflicted heavy losses. SPECTACULAR SUCCESS NOT EXPECTED No Short Cut In Operation (Rec. Midnight) LONDON, Oct. 28. “A clear public warning was at the outset of the Bth Army’s attack that no spectacular success could be expected,” says The Times in a leading article. The Bth Army was entrusted, with the most formidable operation in its eventful history, to the completion of which there is no short cut. It is necessary to blast a way forward. “The progress of this fighting illustrates a revolution in the tactical handling of tanks. It was discovered that tanks could be halted by minefields, and if so halted could be destroyed by the enemy’s gun-fire. Lieutenant-General Montgomery’s first requirement is to bring the enemy’s heavy armour into battle. It takes time to induce this conflict and more time to decide it. Even if 10 days or more elapse before the enemy’s resistance can be mastered the operation may be going according to plan. STUKAS RAID N.Z. LINES (Official War Correspondent) EL ALAMEIN, Oct. 28. Night Stuka raids against the New Zealand positions on the El Alamein battle-front have caused a few casualties among our troops. Again yesterday the New Zealand forces were not engaged in any major fighting. Nothing more can be said at this stage af the New Zealanders’ present activities. AXIS REPORT DENIED (8.0.W.) RUGBY, October 28. There is no truth in a report broadcast from Axis sources that an aeroplane carrying General Sir Harold Alexander, Commander-in-Chief in the Middle East, wat shot down in the British lines in Egypt yesterday. The report was apparently issued for propaganda purposes.