Show Plane Umbrella Covers British Thrust in Desert By HARRY CROCKETT CAIRO July 4 UP lP A A determined determined determined de de- de- de British Britis counterattack launched under an umbrella of or unprecedented ente cooperation cooperation cooperation coop coop- has checked at least temporarily Field Marshal Erwin Erwin Erwin Er- Er win Rommel's thrust toward Alexandria and the Nile valley a British headquarters com com- said Saturday Some of the fiercest fighting of the campaign took place as the reinforced imperial forces moved in to halt a new drive eastward by Rommel's forces the said Earlier Rommel Rommel Rommel Rom Rom- mel had been reported digging in west of El which is 65 miles west of Alexandria A London military commentator commentator commentator described the British British counterattack counterattack counterattack coun coun- as successful and added things could be very much worse Apparently the full weight of the British American and South African air forces was thrown into the British action and the indicated that a tremendous tremendous tremendous tre tre- tre- tre air battle ensued with 24 axis planes out of the sky A commentators commentator's summary of the last three days of fighting showed that the German onslaughts onslaughts onslaughts on on- were steadily diminishing diminishing diminishing diminish diminish- ing in numerical strength if not in vigor Describing the German attack of Thursday afternoon one ob- ob Continued on Page Palle Two Column One ul 0 U S S1 S. FLIERS RAID NAZI-HELD NAZI AREA Continued from Page Pace One ing beside the Australians in iri in offense of offense offense of- of and nd defense Thus on four foul continents continents all all but the two Americas themselves themselves- United States army air all corps planes were in battle action before the first seven months of ot American Ameri Ameri- American can participation in the war had passed They were fighting submarines in n the Atlantic tl they ey had met the Japanese all t over ver the vast Pacific Daylight Attack The loss of ot two of ot six planes whose crews now are casualties or 01 possibly alive as prisoners or oras oras oras as fugitives in held enemy-held territory territory terri terri- tory w was was s not considered especially For it was a daylight attack atlow at atlow low ow level against one of the most strongly defended zones in the world Even the veteran royal air air- force lost ost seven Jeven of ot 12 Lanc Lancaster ster bombers bombers bombers bomb bomb- ers most of them over France in their recent raid on Augsburg in Germany ermany It 11 was believed possible that the British as well as the American American Ameri Ameri- can planes which which- made today's raid were of ot American make The A 20 A 20 A corresponds to the Douglas light bomber the British air ail force calls the Boston and the night fighter which it calls the Havoc Building up the U U. S. S army air corps in this theater has been a monumental task Bomber planes plane s can be flown across the Atlantic The ground personnel tools replacements re- re replacements replacements re re- placements spares ammunition bombs must be shipped For that reason United States authorities a caution against an any Y jumping conclusion that a grand grand- scale aerial offensive is about t to o start But organizational work is proceeding proceeding pro pro- rapidly The six light ligh t bombers which made history Saturday Sat will become squadrons one day and medium and heavy bombers will be operating with the R RAF A F. F Presumably as more more- crews arthe ar rive the the army air corps will be given increasingly frequent opportunities to experience themselves in the best possible way by raids on German territory and will start to extend the force of their operations opera opera- as they learn European flying flying fly fly- ing conditions The A A 20 A 20 plane is an metal all-metal craft with a crew rew of ot three It has in built-in fuel tanks and a way two radio and its propellers are three- three bladed It has a practical radius of action of from to miles It is powered by two Wright 14 clinder two-row two radial engines with 1280 horsepower r at sea level Its wingspan wing is 61 feet teet four in inches hes Its gross weight with a normal load is pounds Americans celebrating July 4 in their various ways wa I in London cheered the news of ot the first United United Unit Unit- ed States army air corps attack on held German-held territory Britons were enthusiastic too at the news that the army air force had joined the R RAF A F. F |