AMERICAN TROOPS BREAK OFF ACTION

Auckland Star, Volume LXXIV, Issue 29, 4 February 1943, Page 5

AMERICAN TROOPS BREAK OFF ACTION

FAID PASS BATTLE Dominating Position Of Nazi« Artillery "N.Z.F.A. and British Wireless Rec. noon. LONDON, Feb. 3. After an unsuccessful two-day attempt to recapture Faid Pass from the Germans, the American combat force which was attacking from the west has temporarily broken off the engagement. German artillery mounted on high ground covering the pass inflicted appreciable losses on the American infantry and tanks. The Americans have dug in about a mile to the east of Sened.

The British United Press says that the situation at Sened conflicts with reports from Allied headquarters yesterday, when it was stated that the town was captured on Monday and that the Americans had withdrawn after beating off enemy counterattacks. Sened was actually captured yesterday. There was no withdrawal. The confusion resulted from plans which originally called for a withdrawal.

Enemy movements which may presage another attack were detected in the mountains overlooking Ousseltia Valley. There was considerable air activity over the front yesterday. A group of Wat-hawks, including Lafayettes, attacked a large force of escorted Stukas, destroying ' eight planes for the loss of five. Contact With Enemy "Our troops in the coastal sector yesterday occupied Zilten, 20 miles from the Tunisian frontier, and were in contact with the enemy withdrawing towards Pisida," says the Middle East communique. "Air attacks on small enemy shipping off the Tunisian coast continued. One German bomber was destroyed over a Sicilian aerodrome the previous night. We suffered no losses in the above operations." Zilten is about eight miles inland and 12 miles south-west of Pisida, which is oft the coast 12 miles east of the Tunisian border. The North Africa communique states: "Our attack on Faid on Monday was unsuccessful, otherwise there is no change in the Tunisian front. Our bombers attacked aerodromes at Sfax, starting large fires and destroying enemy aircraft on the ground. In the day's operations 12 enemy aircraft were destroyed. Thirteen of our planes are missing. Two enemy bombers were destroyed on Monday night." The German news agency states that strong Allied forces have broken into the Axis positions in the central sector of the Tunisian front. Reuters correspondent in North Africa says the real threat to German communications is that developing in the south, where American forces are thrusting southward down the railway from Gafsa to the coast, setting the Axis commanders a real problem. Eighth Army Position According to Algiers radio, the Eighth Army advanced forces are patrolling between the BengardaneMatmata hills, which lie at the western end of the Mareth Line, between the coastal plain and Shott el Jerid. A British United correspondent at Tunisia says Rommel has established headquarters at Gabes, and is directing the withdrawal from behind the Mareth Line.

General Giraud has cabled his congratulations to General le Clerc, whose camel corps made the spectacular advance from Chad up to Tripoli. • „ , ' A message from General Sir Harold Alexander, Commander-in-Chief, Middle East, was read at a meeting of the Malta Council of Government yesterday. The message, which was in reply to Malta's tribute to the British Eighth Army, said: "All ranks are proud to have helped to bring some measure of relief to the people of Malta, who have shown such a glorious example of fortitude and devotion to duty.