ROMMEL’S THRUST IN EGYPT

Wairarapa Times-Age, 6 July 1942, Page 3

ROMMEL’S THRUST IN EGYPT

Some Signs of Enemy Exhaustion ATTACKS BELIEVED TO HAVE, ATTAINED MAXIMUM POWER ALLIED AIR FORCE STRIKING HARD AND PERSISTENTLY LONDON, July 5. The latest news from Egypt indicates that a halt has been called in the enemy advance towards the Nile. Since the attack began five days ago, in the El Alamein defence zone, the enemy has not succeeded in advancing a yard further towards the east, and |he British positions have remained intact. While the enemy is still strong, there is every reason to believe that he has already launched attacks as powerful as any that he can hope to make. The British forces continue to attack, and the enemy had to withdraw from heights south-west of El Alamein, after a number of his tanks had been put out of action. Six hundred German troops who were taken prisoner gave themselves up, declaring that they had had enough. They surrendered to the South African forces. As to the general situation, it is stated that optimism about the outcome of the battle is still inadvisable, though there is ground for hope and reason to believe that in a few days, perhaps hours, it will be known for certain which way the battle is destined to develop. The British troops are greatly heartened by the work of the Air Force. Yesterday’s air operations were only on a slightly smaller scale than the record-breaking activities of the day befohe. Yesterday five' Messerschmitts, three dive-bombers and one Macchi were destroyed. Last night, when enemy planes raided the Alexandria and the Suez Canal area, British night fighters shot down five bombers. This evening’s Malta communique reports a continuance of enemy air raids on the island. One German bomber and two fighters were shot down yesterday evening.