HEAVY BRITISH PRESSURE

Southland Times, Issue 24890, 2 November 1942, Page 5

HEAVY BRITISH PRESSURE

End Of Mine-Fields Not Yet Reached

(Rec. 6.30 p.m.) LONDON, Oct. 31. The German News Agency says the Sth Army resumed its attack early tms morning. Lieutenant-General B. L. Montgomery brought up reinforcements for the attack, especially tanks ana artillery from the south and central se^°£ s j)aii y Mail’s Alamein correspondent says the Bth Army is maintaining tremendous pressure on the whole oi Field-Marshal Rommel’s front since attaining all the objectives set for the first week. The Daily Telegraph’s Alamem correspondent, summing up, says: We have done well, but we have not yet reached the end of the enemy s minefields. We have taken many prisoners, but not enough seriously to affect an army as big as Field-Marshal RomWestern Desert correspondent of The Times says: “Prisoners confirm that our ceaseless air and naval attacks are seriously interfering with Field-Marshal Rommel’s supply arrangements, some declaring that they were without food for two days.” The correspondent adds that numerous deserters are coming over to our lines, including many Poles, Slovenes and other conscripted troops who desert at the first opportunity. RAIDS BY STUKAS

Describing two Stuka raids on Empire infantry units in their new positions, Reuter’s correspondent with the Sth Army says: “The anti-aircraft fire was so severe that the Stukas released their bombs from several thousand feet. Both attacks were against troops supporting our gun positions. The first attack failed to inflict casualties or damage. Nineteen Stukas participated in the second attack. The Bth Army’s shelling and bombing of Axis forward positions and tank and transport concentrations have a good effect. Our 25-pounders and medium artillery are inflicting considerable casualties.” The war correspondent of the Stockholm newspaper Svenska Dagbladet says: “During the fighting in North Africa Field-Marshal Rommel often does not take off his boots for weeks. He sleeps fully dressed and creeps down the first available hole for protection from splinters. Those nearest him feel that Rommel is bullet-proof. Rommel runs here and there like, a desert fox and has an extraordinary flair for finding the enemy’s weak points. Rommel helps when mine-fields are being forced. After the fall of Tobruk he was seen to take off his coat near Fuka and dig out British mines.” N.Z. TROOPS ADVANCE Many Prisoners Captured (Official War Correspondent) EL ALAMEIN, October 30.

In the face of strong resistance elements of New Zealand troops on part of their sector on the Alamein front on Wednesday night improved their positions by an advance in places of nearly half a mile. They captured many prisoners and had a good haul of mortars and guns, including two 88-milli-metre guns. A section of the advance was covered by heavy artillery fire, in spite of which the enemy retaliated, using artillery as well as mortars and machine-guns. The New Zealanders fought their way through to strongly defended positions in which they quickly established themselves. An Italian headquarters was taken, together with its officers. As they emerged from weapon pits, many of those Italians who had survived the artillery barrage fell to machine-gun fire. On Thursday morning the New Zealanders’ forward positions were being shelled, and there was considerable mortar fire, but the troops were well dug in. There have been several divebombing attacks, but casualties from these are light. PLANE HIT BY DEBRIS Bomb Strikes Munition Dump (Rec. 1 a.m.) CAIRO, November 1. A bomber with a crew of Englishmen, Canadians and Australians was peppered with debris when a bomb dropped on a munition dump from 5000 feet above the battle area last night. The crew became bored with lack of obvious targets in the enemy front line, so dropped flares, then a stick of bombs, after which there was a terrific explosion. The observer said he had dropped hundreds of bombs, but never previously had heard them burst. He did so this time. It was colossal. Then came a noise like a child running a stick along a paling fence. It was fragments hitting the plane.