NEW PHASE
OPENED IN WESTERN DESERT ALLIED INFANTRY FIGHTING HARD. PROGRESS TOWARDS CERTAIN OBJECTIVES. (By Telegraph—Press Association—Copyright) (Received This Day, 12.40 p.m.) LONDON, October 26. English, Empire and Allied infantry divisions are fighting hard in all the battle areas of the Western Desert. They are reported to be making progress towards certain objectives and the number of Axis prisoners and casualties is rising. Reuter's special correspondent with the Eighth Army cables this information in a despatch received in London this afternoon. He adds that early in the battle several scattered clashes occurred between Allied and German tanks, west of the El Alamein line. One British heavy tank formation, emerging from a wedge driven through the enemy's minefields by the initial infantry assault, was by evening still holding on, despite heavy shelling from artillery and anti-tank guns. During the last 24 hours, says the Reuter correspondent in a later cable, the Allied forces have made no further progress, but have retained the ground taken early in the offensive. More armoured forces are now engaged and artillery is in, action continuously along the whole front. The nature of the terrain and the narrowness of the front, plus the large number of enemy prepared positions which must be overcome by frontal assault, make it unlikely that the Eighth Army will secure rapid territorial gains. The British United Press correspondent with the Eighth Army, Mr Robert McMillan, says the British have widened the break in the German lines and the New Zealanders have advanced. The Germans counter-attack-ed but were repulsed. Australian forces held these attacks, while the Highlanders fought a battle with great gallantry over a strong point which the enemy is hotly disputing. SECOND ROUND ' y ANOTHER HAMMER BLOW. STRUCK BY EIGHTH ARMY. (Received This Day, 12.10 n.m.) LONDON, October 26. The British United Press correspondent (Mr R .McMillan), cabling from the Desert on October 25, says the second round in the great Desert battle has begun. The Eighth Army, in the first day’s fighting, gouged a wide gap in the enemy's lines. They went in last night to deliver a second hammer-blow. Like the first, this attack began with a barrage, which started at 10 p.m., on a scale reminiscent of the heavy barrages on the Western front in the last war. Tanks, armed with hard-hitting guns, have been poured into the gap, where they have engaged the enemy’s armoured forces, although so far Rommel has used only medium groups of tanks. In the past 24 hours Rommel’s carefully organised defence works have been severely damaged by the 51st Division and also by Australian, Nev/ Zealand and British troops, backed up by South Africans and Indians. Infantry attacks were also launched last night between the Meteiriya and Ruweisat ridges. ~ “What has happened so far,” the correspondent states, “is that we have made a break into the enemy’s dines. It is now the task of the tanks to make’
the job perfect with a clear break through.” The British United Press correspondent in Cairo reports that long-range fighters which yesterday intercepted heavily-protected troop-carrying Junkers, flying south to Libya, immediately ""“attacked and shot down four and damaged others. Three United States Air ; Corps fighter pilots shot down four of •; the enemy fighters destroyed over the battle area yesterday. American bomb•t ers and fighter-bombers are also partici- » pating fully ■in air operations against enemy ground targets.
NEW ZEALAND TROOPS
I POSITIONS WON, HELD & CONSOLIDATED. • READINESS FOR NEXT MOVE. * (Received This Day, Noon.) > .Official War Correspondent, N.Z.E.F.) CAIRO, October 26. All the positions taken by the New » Zealanders following on their night attack when General Montgomery launched his offensive against Rommel are ’ still held. Although no details of yesu terday’s fighting have yet reached ’ Cairo, it is believed here that the ,i' New Zealanders were not engaged in " any major action yesterday. They have consolidated all their newlytaken objectives and are now ready to take their part in the next phase of the Eighth Army’s offensive.
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Wairarapa Times-Age, 27 October 1942, Page 4
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660NEW PHASE Wairarapa Times-Age, 27 October 1942, Page 4
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