WILTING OF MORALE

Auckland Star, Volume LXXIV, Issue 82, 7 April 1943, Page 4

WILTING OF MORALE

ITALIANS IN TUNISIA THE RELIEF OF GABES N.Z.E.F. Official War Correspondent GABES, March 30. The Germans and Italians during the occupation of Gabes behaved in what the French civil administration of Gabes describes as "officially correct." That is to say, officially and outwardly there were no "incidents." The administrator said that in general the Italians were rather less exacting than the Germans. Gabes was occupied by Italian troops and the majority of the Germans who visited it were on leave. Rommel never officially visited Gabes. The administrator said that as British and.' American forces closed round Tunisia Italian morale noticeably wilted and as the Ejghth Army advanced many Italians gave the impression that they had lost all hope of victory. Gabes, as many of its streets and buildings bear witness, was the get for heavy bombing during the period of occupation. The administrator said the bombing at the port achieved its objective, for the enemy had not used the facilities there since the middle of February. The citizens of Gabes saw only the fringe of the great surge of the Eighth Army's advance, for the majority of our pursuing forces passed it by. As the Eighth Army moved on the people of Gabes were still plainly trying to realise that the long months of tension were over and that they now had prospects of returning to normality. Although the route of the New Zealand section of the advance led through the outskirts of Gabes, the great majority of New Zealanders saw only passing glimpses of its big barracks and white buildings before they moved on again in the drive toward Sfax.