eon SERIOUSLY WOUNDED IN TUNISIA

Auckland Star, Volume LXXIV, Issue 41, 18 February 1943, Page 5

eon SERIOUSLY WOUNDED IN TUNISIA

FLOWN TO GERMANY

U.S. Forces In Fierce Tank Battles With Axis N.Z.P.A. and British Wireless Rec. 1 p.m. LONDON, Feb. 17. It is confirmed that American bombers blew up Rommel's headquarters at Sfax, wounding him seriously, says the Tunisian correspondent of the North American Newspaper Alliance. Rommel was taken to a hospital in Tunis and was flown from there to Berlin. The situation in Tunisia at the moment appears to have deteriorated somewhat, but this is offset by the Eighth Army's seizure of Ben Gardane and the continued advance towards Medenine. Correspondents report that fierce tank battles are raging on the outskirts of Sbeitla, to which the weight of the onslaughts of Rommel's veteran panzers pushed back the Americans. Reuters representative in Algiers says the Americans at Sbeitla to-day are meeting a renewed thrust from German armoured forces, while further south of Gafsa the

Afrika Korps panzers are striking for Feriana. Both thrusts represent big advances. The German movement was clearly made with the object of clearing a coastal passage for the Afrika Korps. The British United Press says that it is believed the Americans will be forced to withdraw from Feriana to the high hills to the northward unless the powerful German drive is ' halted. The Associated Press says that with the American tenure of Sbeitla extremely uncertain, Rommel in the last three days has been using a number of huge Mark VI. tanks salvaged from Libya and has pushed the Axis front 35 miles westwards from Faid Pass. The Americans resisted with General Grants and Shermans and received a great part of their battering from dive-bombers. Americans Isolated Despite the threat to their positions through the German push towards Feriana, the Americans at the north edge of Shortt Jerid, southwest of Gafsa, are believed to be holding on to Tozeur. The Axis ad-' vances isolated a number of American contingents in Sidi Bousid area. No reports have been received from the isolated forces, but strong hopes are held. that they will be able to rejoin the main forces. Reuters Tunisia correspondent says it is now known that the American counter-attack yesterday in the Sidi Bousid area lasted for several hours, with the battle swaying uncertainly. The German occupation of Gafsa was the direct result of the reverse inflicted on the Americans on Monday, when the Combat Command from Sbeitla was compelled to withdraw. The Twelfth United States Air Force replied to the German divebombing by putting out of action 11 tanks. Berlin radio _ military spokesman said: "The Tunisia operations cannot yet be regarded as a prelude to decisive battles. The Allies and the Axis are at present assembling their forces. Local operations are going on in the Gafsa area." The spokesman at Allied headquarters in London declared that the German report of the number of American casualties in the action near Gafsa was grossly exaggerated. Berlin radio said that Rommel's rearguards on Monday night withdrew to the Mareth Line according to plan, unhampered by the British. It was not until Tuesday that the Eighth Army's advance forces followed the Axis troops' movements because they had to overcome thickly-sown mines and other obstacles. The radio added: "We observed British divisions which so far had been distributed in great depth now closing up nearer the front." The British United Press Cairo correspondent says the Axis is only intermittently opposing General Montgomery's advance into the Mareth Line outer defences. The rain has ceased, making the advance easier. Reuters Cairo correspondent says the Eighth Army's advanced troops, under the improved conditions, are advancing so fast that they are 20 miles beyond Ben Gardane and halfway to Medenine, which is less than 30 miles from the Mareth Line. Fighting In Progress "The opposing forces were engaged throughout the day on the southern Tunisian front," says Allied headquarters in North Africa. "At the end of the day fighting was still in progress on the outskirts of Sbeitla. On Monday and Tuesday night the roads behind the enemy lines were bombed. Light bombers attacked enemy gun positions and vehicles. Fighters made many attacks on enemy ground targets. One of our aircraft is missing." "Yesterday our troops in the northern sector continued to progress westwards towards Medenine,", says the Middle East joint communique. "Patrol operations were continued. Targets west of Ben Gardane were attacked by our fighter bombers yesterday, although air activity was not on a large scale. On Monday night an enemy tanker was attacked in the Sicilian Narrows by our torpedo aircraft and was left blazing from stem to stern. On the same night successful low-flying attacks were carried out on rail targets in southern Italy and Sicily. Two enemy aircraft were shot down over Sicily. One of ours is missing."