ALL GAINS HELD

Wairarapa Times-Age, 31 October 1942, Page 3

ALL GAINS HELD

PROGRESS OF THE EIGHTH ARMY IN THE EGYPTIAN BATTLE STEADY AND PERSISTENT ATTACKS. ON FORMIDABLE ENEMY DEFENCES. LONDON, October 30. The Eighth Army’s gains in Egypt are being consolidated and enlarged. Prisoners are still coming in. Today’s official news from Cairo reports minor engagements with enemy armoured troops. Fighting is still going on. A 8.8. C. commentator speaks of the apparent reluctance of the enemy to engage the British troops when the latter were advancing on Wednesday. A formation of more than 200 Axis vehicles was seen, but the enemy did not rush into action. The formation broke up into small battle groups, which set about tapping, at various points along the British front, at long range. At some points the fighting is sharp. It is by no. means an easy, dashing battle. The British troops are attacking constantly against strongly defended positions. In nearly a week of all-in fighting the Eighth Army has held on to every inch of the captured ground. The power of British and American armoured forces is being effectively demonstrated in clashes between the tanks and anti-aircraft guns.

The highlights of yesterday’s air operations was a raid by R.A.F. fighters on Mersa Matruh. The planes raked a landing ground and shot up a train. American fighters have destroyed 22 enemy fighters for the loss of two of their own in the past five days of the offensive. AIRMEN PRAISED DESTRUCTION OF ENEMY TANKERS. AIR MARSHAL TEDDER’S CONGRATULATIONS. (British Official Wireless.) (Received This Day, 10.25 a.m.) RUGBY, October 30. The following signal, according to a Cairo message, has been sent by Air Marshal Tedder, Air Officer Commanding in the Middle East, to the squadrons concerned in the attacks on and sinking of enemy shipping off the African coast during the last three days: “My sincere congratulations on the destruction of an enemy convoy right under the noses of the shore defences. It was a. magnificent example of sheer courage, tenacity and determination to kill.” Three enemy tankers have been sunk S in the Mediterranean by torpedo-car-rying aircraft in four days, according .i to a Cairo correspondent, while enemy, ' aircraft destroyed over the battle area on Wednesday brought the total to 43 in three days. British light bombers have been particularly successful, many enemy aircraft being attacked on landing grounds. A famous Australian squadron has brought its total victories—all achieved in Syria, Libya and Egypt—to 200. South Africans and Americans have joined in the air offensive with raids on the El Daba aerodrome which proceeded, by shuttle service, throughout the day. Photographs revealed that the bombing was excellent. Before dawn punishing raids had been carried out by fighters and bombers, while earlier in the night fighters had been active in moonlight. GALLANT ONSET BY NEW ZEALAND TROOPS. MANY PRISONERS & GUNS TAKEN (Official War Correspondent, N.Z.E.F.) (Received This Day, 11.30 a.m.) EL ALAMEIN FRONT, Oct. 29, In face of strong resistance, elements of our troops on part of their sector of the El Alamein front last 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 millimetre guns. The-section of the advance was covered by heavy artillery fire, despite which the enemy retaliated, using artillery as well as mortars and ma-chine-guns. Our men 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 their weapon pits, many of those Italians who had survived the artillery barrage fell to machine-gun fire. This morning our forward positions */ were being shelled and there was conf ' siderable mortar fire, but the troops are well dug in. There have been several dive-bombing attacks, but casualsties from these are light. BIG ATTACKS LAUNCHED BY THE EIGHTH ARMY ACCORDING TO ROME & BERLIN. (Received This Day, 11.50 a.m.) LONDON, October 30. The Axis radio this afternoon reported big attacks by the Eighth Army in Egypt. , The Rome radio declared that the British last night launched a big attack in the coastal sector, with successive waves of troops supported by tanks and added: “All attempts to break through were frustrated by our withering fire.” The Berlin radio stated that the British were defeated in attempts to enlarge a local break through in the northern sector of the El Alamein front and that the British are also attempting to break through in the central and southern sectors. A Cairo message says the Allies have consolidated all the ground taken since the offensive began, including around gained on the night of October 28.