OF NEW GROUND GAINED

Wairarapa Times-Age, 25 July 1942, Page 3

OF NEW GROUND GAINED

Eighth Army in Egypt AXIS FORCES HOLDING STRONGLY-PREPARED POSITIONS MERSA MATRUH AGAIN EFFECTIVELY BOMBARDED LONDON, July 24. There is little news of any fresh operations in Egypt. The Eighth Army spent yesterday making sure of the ground it has gained. In the northern sector the British troops have improved their positions; in the centre they have extended their hold on the Ruweisat Ridge and in the south they have improved their positions on the plateau. Axis forces have opposed the advance with stubborn fighting, disputing every yard of the ground with heavy and light artillery, mortars and machine-guns, firing from stronglyprepared positions. British planes still hold air superiority over the battle area. Light bombers yesterday attacked enemy targets on a scale only slightly less than on the previous day. Groups of several hundred enemy vehicles and troop carriers were attacked, besides enemy gun positions. At least 24 enemy planes were de-, stroyed or damaged on the ground when the' landing ground at El Daba was attacked last night.

Enemy dive-bombers yesterday made attacks against forward troops. One of these raiding formations was intercepted by fighters, which shot down four dive-bombers and one fighter. British warships and naval aircraft attacked Mersa Matruh again last night, It was the sixth bombardment of the port in ten days. In that period 2,000 high explosive shells have been poured into the port. It is believed that these heavy, accurate and oft-repeated bombardments have affected the enemy’s immediate supply of ammunition and have greatly reduced the usefulness of the port as an advanced Axis base. Enemy air activity continues over Malta. The enemy has lost another four planes, with four more damaged. No British planes were lost.

The enemy tried to attack an aerodrome this morning but his formation was broken up by the anti-aircraft barrage and fighters drove back the attacking planes. The enemy’s air losses yesterday over the island were six planes—two German bombers, two German fighters and two Italian fighters.