BRITISH ATTACK

Wairarapa Times-Age, 28 July 1942, Page 3

BRITISH ATTACK

IN EGYPTIAN COASTAL ZONE PROGRESS MADE & PRISONERS TAKEN. SUCCESSFUL ALLIED AIR RAIDS. LONDON, July 27. Fighting flared up again in Egypt with a limited attack last night by General Auchinleck’s forces. The attack took place in the northern sector, where the British forces made some progress and took prisoners. The operations began at 3 o’clock. A large force of bombers raided Tobruk. Fires and explosions were seen in the dock area. A direct hit was obtained on a ship in the harbour. Long-range fighters operating off the coast and behind the enemy lines attacked enemy barges, one of which is believed to have been sunk. Heavy four-engined U.S.A, bomber’s joined R.A.F. bombers in a successful attack on Tobruk on Saturday night. The “Daily Telegraph’s” correspondent with the Eighth Army in Egypt says that the recent fighting in the El Alamein area somewhat resembles that on the Western Front in the last war. The scale of advance and retreat is again measurable only in hundreds or thousands of yards, and again there is the same struggle for slight eminences. Again, too, a trench system is growing up, but vastly different from that of the last war. The Imperial front is held by the Australians in the north, with South Africans just to the south. New Zealanders and Indians hold the centre, and the United Kingdom troops hold the most southern sector. SINGLE=HANDED ESCAPE WELLINGTON OFFICER’S DESERT TREK. (N.Z.E.F. Official News Service.)) CAIRO, July 25. A thrilling single-handed escape, followed by a gruelling 65-mile trek across the desert, with nothing to guide him except the stars, with very little food and water, and practically no sleep, was recently made by Captain R. R. T. Young, Wellington, who is now back with his battalion ready to fight again. Captured after the New Zealanders’ night advance on July 14, he escaped, and travelling at night on foot for four nights, finally arrived among the New Zealand battalion. ANOTHER GET-AWAY NEW ZEALAND BRIGADIER AND PARTY. (Official War Correspondent, N.Z.E.F.) WESTERN DESERT, July 23. For the Second time in this campaign, a New Zealand brigadier has been captured by the enemy and escaped. Early yesterday morning a brigadier of the third contingent was taken prisoner by tanks. A bid for freedom in a small car failed when, after proceeding about half ,a mile, the car was hit by a shell. Tanks then appeared on the scene, and the party was forced to surrender. Throughout the day the brigadier remained with a medical orderly and others, acting as a stretcher-bearer and attending to wounded, frequently under shellfire from our guns. Later the enemy removed some wounded in trucks, and.the brigadier and party prepared to make their escape, arming themselves and carrying hand grenades. They were heard by a listening post, which investigated while the New Zealanders hid in slit trenches. The lightest wounded were taken away then and stretcher cases about midnight. When the coast seemed clear, the party - made their way past pockets of German infantry and tanks to our lines, which they reached about 3.30 this morning. They slept in the sand till daylight, when they found themselves close to our divisional headquarters. HEAVY AIR RAIDS ON TOBRUK AND OTHER OBJECTIVES. (British Official * Wireless.) (Received This Day, 10 a.m.) RUGBY, July 27. A Cairo communique states: “Low clouds and dust storms prevented air operations in the battle area by day yesterday, but a Junkers 88, which approached Alexandria, was shot down into the sea by our fighters. “Our long-range fighters again successfully attacked barges off Sidi Barrani. Tobruk was heavily attacked during the night, and fires and explosions were started in the dock area, and a direct hit on the target was followed by a big explosion. Heavy attack? were also carried out in the battle area.”