COMPARATIVE LULL ON TUNISIAN FRONT

Auckland Star, Volume LXXIV, Issue 80, 5 April 1943, Page 3

COMPARATIVE LULL ON TUNISIAN FRONT

FORCES REGROUPING

Terrific Battle May Flare Up Any Moment N.Z. Press Association.—Copyright Rec. 12.30 p.m. LONDON, April 4. There is a comparative lull at present on the Tunisian front, but terrific fighting may at any time flare up along the 200 miles of battle line. The quietude veils intense Allied preparations for drives aimed either to annihilate the Axis armies or force evacuation, giving British and American sea and air power further opportunities for destruction of the enemy. The only major land activities in the past 24 hours have been the capture by Moroccan troops of the town of Cap Serrat, 40 miles west of Bizerta, and the American drive in the El Quettar area. So far there are no reports of German resistance at Cap Serrat. Berlin radio previously announced that the Germans had "captured" mountain positions at Ferna. This is tantamount to an admission of retreat, because Jefna is 20 miles east of Sed Jenane and ten miles east of Mateur and has always been in German hands. Dispatches from the front line emphasise that the occupation of Cap Serrat is valuable because it anchors the Allied line to the sea coast. The Germans are apparently retreating hastily, leaving ammunition dumps and supplies undestroyed. General Patton's American Second Corps, despite difficulties of terrain and extensive minefields, is persisting in its drive from El Guettar to link up with General Montgomery. Algiers radio to-night reported that fhey had advanced, killing many Germans and taking prisoners and destroying or capturing a large number of tanks. , The radio added that the Axis had launched powerful tank-sup-ported counter-attacks, but these were all repulsed, after which the Americans gained ground. Reuter reports that the Americans captured more than 30 mortars, which are valuable prizes, because the mortars are one of the deadliest and most accurate weapons the Germans are using against the infantry. Stukas Fall from the Sky When the Germans called in the Luftwaffe the Americans had the further joy of seeing nearly a whole Stuka formation fall from the sky. The Luftwaffe threw in about 20 Stukas, which American-manned Spitfires intercepted ten miles south of El Guettar. Fourteen German fighters were in the vicinity, but only one attempted to support the Stukas. He was driven off. The Spitfires, in a running fight, knocked down 14 Stukas, two American pilots shooting down three each.

Despite bad weather, the Allies elsewhere are probing the Axis lines and regrouping. The Germans are nervous of the Allied thrusts, which threaten to infiltrate from the mountains to the coastal plain, either counter-attacking or heavily bombarding Allied positions.

The French in the Pichon area repulsed two tank attacks.