STUBBORN AMERICAN RESISTANCE SHOWN

Auckland Star, Volume LXXIV, Issue 40, 17 February 1943, Page 3

STUBBORN AMERICAN RESISTANCE SHOWN

TUNISIA FIGHTING

No Need For Pessimism Over Gafsa Setback Rec. 12.30 a.m. LONDON, Feb. 16. Small enemy forces last night entered Gafsa, says to-day's communique from Allied • headquarters in North Africa. Gafsa is just over 100 miles west of the Sfax, with which it is linked by a railway. It has been in danger since one of the two German columns that attacked heavily two days ago cut across the road between Gafsa and Sfax. Latest reports indicate that heavy fighting is still in progress in southern Tunisia. Algiers radio declared that there was no need for pessimism as the Americans were putting up stubborn resistance against the Axis thrust, the main aim of which is to prevent the First and Eighth Armies joining forces. Reuters correspondent at Algiers states that German panzers last night moved into Gafsa, which was evacuated by the Americans after the German thrust from the direction of Sened threatened to isolate it. The two-prong German thrust which reached 18 miles west of Faid Pass yesterday, ran into an American counter-attack which threw it back six miles after fierce and bloody fighting. Stuka dive-bombers, heavily supporting the German advance, caused a large proportion of American casualties. The Americans now occupy high ground north of the Faid-Sbeitla road and .fighting is continuing in the area south of the road where the Germans are being held in check. The situation is regarded as fairly satisfactory. It is believed the Americans, in this engagement, knocked out at least 20 German tanks and also inflicted severe losses on enemy troops. Evacuation Not Unexpected The evacuation of Gafsa was not' unexpected. The whole southern extremity of the Allied line was lightly held, with a limited amount of men and material. The Americans defending Gafsa have fallen back to stronger and long-prepared positions. The enemy is in some force at Kebili, west of Gabes. The Americans are still holding Tozeur, to the southwest of Gafso, but the position appears difficult to maintain. While the Algiers radio late this evening stated that heavy fighting was continuing in the Faid sector, Berlin radio an hour later claimed that the local operation in southern Tunisia had temporarily concluded with the mopping up of extensive battlefields around Faid. The radio proceeded: "The setback suffered by the Second American Tank Corps was far heavier, according to latest reports, than has so far been assumed. To avoid encirclement the Americans, after hard fighting, were forced to evacuate which was the basis of their right wing. "Italian troops yesterday afternoon, in a rapid advance, passed through Gafsa to the west and southwest without encountering serious resistance. The capture of Gafsa without a fight was the result of successful powerful thrusts carried out by special Axis forces west of Faid. "Strong American armoured forces had attempted by several relief operations to regan Sidi Bousid and another important road junction in order to remove this threat against Gafsa, but the attempts collapsed with heavy losses under the fire of the German and Italian defence." . Further German Claims Berlin radio claims that 97 American tanks were shot up on a narrow front. The majority of the crews were killed. "The American tosses so far ascertained include 3000 killed. The total American casualties, with wounded, who accompanied the retreating forces, must be at least 8000 or 10,000 The Axis air forces

inflicted further losses in men and material through continuous attacks against the retreating columns." It is announced at Allied headquarters in North Africa that General Eisenhower .has returned irom the Tunisian front, where he had been during the German attack and the American counter-attack. Allied sources at Algiers state that American armoured forces regained in the counter-attack six miles, particularly in the area surrounding Sidi Bousid. One American combat force battered in the early part of the attacks was reinforced by a fresh combat force. These helped the armoured forces. Von Arnim's forces in the present forays consist of part of the German Armoured Division and some Italian tanks. He has not drawn on the Tenth Panzer Division recently rushed from Amiens to Tunisia.