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FAILURE OF AXIS
COUINTER-ATTACK
Enemy Loses In Minor
Tank Clashes
ALLIED PLAJNES SUNK
TANKER
Australian Associated And Our Representative
LONDON, October 29.
There are indications in today's communique from
Cairo that the British Bth Army is apparently
pausing for the moment and holding the
ground gained before the next phase of the
ground gained phase
offensive is developed.
According lo the communique, an Axis counter-attack
was repelled on Tuesday night, and in minor tank
clashes which occurred yesterday damage was in
flicted on the enemy.
There has been no lull in the air war, however. Day and
i night attacks were made on enemy landing ground*
and forward positions, keeping the Avit air forces
on the defensive yesterday.
An Africa-bound enemy tanker, protected by warships, was
sunk last night as a result of an attack by lorpedo
carrying planes. Allied heavy bomben flew to
| Crete, where they attacked an aerodrome, on which
| fires were started.
Oeuter's Cairo correspondent has.
disclosed that there was no for
ward -movement by the Bth Army
yesterday, and the scale of the
tank engagements was nothing ap-
jproaching the big clash of the pre-
ivious day, which itself was not on
! an all-out scale.
{ Todays Cairo communique
states:—-During Tuesday night we
beat off a counter-attack on our
positions. There were minor tank
engagements yesterday, in which
we inflicted damage. Fighting
continues.
"Our day and night air attacks
on Axis landing grounds and for-
ward positions continue, and all
yesterday the Axis remained on
the defensive. Our night fighters
carried out protective patrols over
our troops, and snot down a
Junkers 88 on Tuesday night,
Heavy bombers on the same night
attacked an aerodrome on Crete
and started fires.
"Among the targets bombed yes-
terday were enemy concentxations,
which were attacked intensively
with good results. We destroyed
nine fighters yesterday.
?Our torpedo planes last night,
despite heavy fire from escorting
warships, torpedoed and sank a j
'large Africa-bound tanker,
'ftaids on Malta were ineffective
and on a reduced scale. Four of {
our planes did not return from all
these operations." :
Todays Italian communique
states:—The violent battles which
have been going on for several days
on the El Alaxnein front were coo
turned yesterday with powerful,
British attacks against the Axis 1
forces which offered bitter resist- j
ance. We destroyed several dozen 1
more tanks, and also took several'
hundred prisoners. Formations oft
Liberator bombers raided Nava-1
rino. Our fighters forced the1
raiders to drop their bombs in the j
sea. and also shot down aoei
raWer."
Today's German High Command
communique states:—"The bitter
fighting in Eggpt Increased op the
fifth day of the defensive battle.
Despite the heaviest attacks and
the use of an unusually great
amount of ammunition, tiie British
were unable to gain successes owing
to the courageous defence of tbe
German and Italian forces. We
raptim-n several hundred prtso
ners."
Aims Of Offensive
Nobody doubts, not even the
enemy, that the aim of the British
Offensive is tfae annihilation of
Rommel's armies and the occupa
respondent with the Bth Army says
that Rommel has a strong screen
of 88 mm. guns, behind which is
grouped the main weight of bis
armor. The screen must be
breached f rontally or turned by a.
flanking move. Neither alterna
tive is easy. Wherever RommfJ
realises that the Allied forces are
likely to break in be sends tanks to
engage and. delay diem white bis
sappers sow new mines. When
Allied tanks try to cope with the
mines, 88 mm. gnus go Into p***!*?"
The tank battle referred to in
yesterday's communique developed
after Rommel bad thrown tanks
against positions the aih*3^ had |
captured on Monday night. Tne
infantry held on, and enabled the
Allied tanks to come up and drive
off the Germans. It was not me
all-out armored engagement, bat
headQuarters states that the Ger
mans received a substantial blow.
The clash occurred at a point where
the Bth Army achieved its deepest
penetration.
tion of the whole of the Mediter
ranean coast. Lt-Gen. Mont
gomery seeks a passage along the
coast. This is a formidable ambi
tion, but is imperative if the Allies
are to reopen the Mediterranean
and make this offensive constitute
a worth-while contribution towards
total victory.
So far tile campaign has gone
well, but several days may possibly
elapse before there is decisive news.
Dispatches from the front com
ment on the deadliness of ttie All'?***'
heavy and continuous barrage. It
is known that the Bth Army pos
sesses new weapons. An authori
tatire commentator, aridrpgang
provincial editors, referred to
them. He said:—"For security
reasons, the full story of these
weapons with which the British
army is equipped cannot be told.
The army has mstgnifir**nt. weapons,
and the day will come when more
can be said about them. The Bth
Army entered this battle equipped
as well as, if not better than, the
German army."
The same commentator said that
it now looked as if defence had
caught up with armor, and in Egypt
conditions seemed to have returned j
to those of the last war with artil
lery opening the way for the infan
! try, which, in turn, was supported
by armored formations.
Few campaigns could have been {
prepared more carefully or more
thoroughly. Lt-Gcn. Montgomery
beforehand visited every unit and
discussed tne plans with every com
mander. Be was not even able to
return to Cairo to meet Field-Mar
! shal Smuts, who, however, saw the
whole plan there.
The British United Press cor-
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