Gripped Tightly In Allied Vice

Auckland Star, Volume LXXIV, Issue 79, 3 April 1943, Page 5

Gripped Tightly In Allied Vice

AXIS TUNISIA ARMIES

Rommel Trying To Delay British-American Union

(New Zealand Press Association.—Copyright.—Rec. 12.30 p.m.) LONDON, April 2. Gripped tightly in a steadily-closing Allied vice, the armies of Rommel and von Arnim are at present on the defensive along a 200-mile front from Sed Jenane to Oudref. , Dispatches from Allied headquarters to-day state that the first stage of the campaign, which aims at destroying Rommel's forces, has not ended and the present pause was expected after the Eighth Army's nine days of bitter, bloody fighting and the Allied troops* long advance over difficult country. The British United Press correspondent at Allied headquarters says British and New Zealand troops in the vanguard of the Eighth Army still hold the initiative and are very actively patrolling along the whole front. General Montgomery may again resort to envelopment in order to eject Rommel from Wadi el Akarit, which is the first water obstacle the Eighth Army has encountered during its whole campaign, says the correspondent. The Allies may aim to destroy the German flank in the neighbourhood of El Guettar before pushing northwards, but to-night it was authoritatively denied at Allied headquarters that the Americans of El Guettar had linked up with the Eighth Army. On the contrary it is believed that the forces are some 40 miles apart. The latest reports state that German panzers counter-attacked this morning westwards along the Gabes-Gafsa Road. It appears that Rommel is making efforts to delay the British and American junction and is prepared to sacrifice a proportion of his first-class troops to do so. Earlier the British United Press correspondent with the Americans east of El Guettar reported that crack German troops entrenched in a labyrinth of underground fortifications on a hillside on one sector were still barring the American advance, but the encirclement threat to these Germans was growing. It was reported to-night that the Americans had again attacked Maknassi. The First Army is making good progress towards Bizerta and is now about 12 miles east of Sed Jenane. First Army units are also pushing northwards. They occupied the heights commanding a long stretch of the Sed Jenane-Mateur Road. A British column moving up Cap Serrat Road is still meeting some resistance. The British United Press reports that Austrian mountain troops in North Tunisia are deserting to the British lines. The first batch of 20 carried "safe conduct" leaflets dropped from R.A.F. planes.