BRITISH HOOPS HEAR MARETH LINE

Auckland Star, Volume LXXIV, Issue 33, 9 February 1943, Page 3

BRITISH HOOPS HEAR MARETH LINE

MOROCCO REPORT Montgomery Massing For Attack On Rommel N.Z.P.A. and British Wireless Rec. 12.30 p.m. LONDON, Feb. 8. Morocco radio reports that British troops are now less than 15 miles from the Mareth Line. Reuters Cairo correspondent says that General Montgomery has massed tanks and guns along the Tunisian frontier in readiness to attack Rommel's positions around the Mareth Line. "Yesterday our patrols were active in all sectors," says the Middle East joint communique. "In the coastal region our troops made contact with the enemy in the Tunisian border area west of Pisida. In the central sector enemy armoured cars were engaged and dispersed. Despite very bad weather, our fighter-bombers operated against and dispersed enemy vehicles west of Ben Gardane. Enemy rail communications in Sicily were successfully attacked by our fighter-bombers yesterday. Enemy transport aircraft were shot down. Activity by Ground Patrols Allied North African headquarters states that on the Tunisian front ground activity was confined to patrols,' and air activity was on a small scale.

The air base at Cagliari, Sardinia, was attacked yesterday afternoon by 817 and 826 bombers, escorted by P3S's. Aircraft on the ground were set on fire and bombs hit the airfield, aerodrome buildings and a seaplane station. Five enemy fighters were shot down without loss to us. Wellingtons last night also attacked Sardinian airfields. One of our aircraft is missing on the raid, which was the first one on the island by the American Air Force, and evidently caught the enemy by surprise, as the pilots met only very slight flak. Rommel's Crack Troops United States troops returning from the battle for Faid Pass, in Tunisia, reveal that the German troops who captured the pass were one of Rommel's panzer divisions entirely re-equipped with tanks and armoured vehicles from von Arnim's stores. Reporting this, Reuters Algiers correspondent says Rommel, with some of his seasoned veterans, has pushed north as fast as possible, leaving the remnants of his equipment for the Italians, who are holding the Mareth Line. Rommel, unencumbered, has been able to move very quickly. There is little doubt that an operational liaison between him and von Arnim has been effective for some time.