ALLIED GAINS.

Ashburton Guardian, Volume 63, Issue 171, 1 May 1943, Page 3

ALLIED GAINS.

COUNTER-ATTACK REPULSED.

THE BATTLE NEAR TEBOURBA. LONDON, April 30. The Allied forces are keeping up their pressure in Tunisia, but the Germans are hitting back hard in several places. All reports speak of continued attacks and counter-attacks. Near the north coast the French and American troops have increased their pressure, and are reported to be shelling the road to Mateur. The American '2nd Corps has reached the slopes of a big hill 15 miles from Mateur. In the centre, after two days of attack and counter-attack 13 miles north-east of Medjez el Bab, the Ist Army retained possession of the crest of Jebel Bou Aoukaz, the last hill before Tebourba, nine miles away. The capture of St. Medien, eight miles east of Medjez el Bab, is reported. Round Pont du Fahs the British and French troops are consolidating their recent gains. South-east of the town the French 19th Corps held off couii-ter-atacks, and gained more ground in the mountains on the left flank of the Bth Army. A message from Allied Headquarters says that the enemy is taking advantage of moonless nights to run men and materials to Tunisia across the Sicilian narrows.

Capture of St. Medien. ,

The correspondent of the “Daily Telegraph” with the Ist Army reports that Peter’s Corner, which is also known as St., Medien, and which consists of a crossroads eight miles east of Medjez el Bab, is now in Allied hands. The correspondent adds: “When the country, round St. Medien is finally under our control there will be little to prevent us fanning out into the plain before Tunis.” The correspondent of the Exchange Telegraph Agency with the Ist Army reports ' “The British on Tuesday took Sidi Salem, which is" immediately south-west of St. Medien, and also Sidi Abdullah, not far away, German infantry retook both on Tuesday night. On Wednesday we retook Sidi Salem, but the Germans hold Sidi Abdullah.

“The enemy is using an increased number of guns. Heavy shellfire forced us to withdraw from Sidi Ahmed, 10 miles north-north-east of Medjez el Bab. We went back on Wednesday afternoon, but were again shelled out.

“The Americans on the Beja-Mateur road repulsed three strong enemy counter-attacks.” “The German Henscliel tank-busting aeroplane is using the same tactics as our Hurricane tank-buster on the Goubellat plain,” says the correspondent of the “Daily Express” with the Bth Army. “The Henschels are slow, but with increasing resistance they are attacking our heavy tanks in the foothills on the dusty roads. “The Axis has not used flame-throw-ing tanks since General Wavell’s campaign. They were a farce in 1940. They are tiny tracked vehicles about five feet high, seating two men. A formidable nozzle like a two-pounder gun sticks out from the front, but the Italian crews, panicked and turned on the flame too soon. The flame shot out only 30 or 40 yards. Our artillery had no difficulty in demolishing them, one by one; but here, where there is much cover, it is a different story.”