OPERATIONS IN TUNISIA

Press, Volume LXXIX, Issue 23847, 16 January 1943, Page 5

OPERATIONS IN TUNISIA

REASONS FOR DELAYS

TRANSPORT AS MAIN PRORLEM

ißrc. 11 p.in 1 LONDON. .lan. 14. “History will soon show how nearly the British Ist Army came to taking Tunis in me rush," states the correspondent of “The Times" in Tunisia, in the first connected review of the campaign. “Some weeks ago some of our troops in the forward areas wore down to their last day's rations, and nearly as low in ammunition,'' he states, “This was the result of our extremely and unexpectedly rapid advance in the early stages, when operations out-ran supplies. “It was considered policy to take that risk in the hope of seizing Tunis, but Tunis was not taken. Our troops were toft out in front with the supply services labouring to catch up. “North African roads have boon neglected since June. 1940. The British Ist Army arrived to find that troops and supplies must be carried 500 miles over an inadequate and badly maintained road system. Bridges had to be repaired and strengthened for huge Army vehicles. Scores of miles of road surface had to be relaid. and much widening was necessary. Bridges were almost always oneway, so that many duplicate bridges ami approaches had to be built. “All sorts of problems arose. Quarries had to be reopened with Arab labour, but the Arabs were not much interested in money wages, because (here was nothing to buy. but they badlv needed clothes, so battledrcss is being dyed for them. “The French have given all the help they can. but the main burden has fallen on the sappers and pioneers. The way Ihe> nltack urgent jobs is a sight ‘for sore eyes. They built a bridge over the Mejcrsa river, with (wo approach roads, within four days. The Germans blew out a IOOTooI span of another bridge. The sappers replaced it within a few hours. . “The sappers also have to maintain aerodromes and construct new ones. The lack of aerodromes close to the front has been one of the main Allied problems. The chief trouble is the unsuitability of the soil, which swells when wet, and cracks as it dries. lie sappers arc overcoming this difficulty. Hew airfields are really under way, although it is useless to expect instantaneous results."

AIR ACTIVITY IN LIBYA

ENEMY LOSES EIGHT

MACHINES

LAND OPERATIONS IN FEZZAN

(Roc. 11 pan.) LONDON, Jan. la. At least eight enemy fighter aircraft were destroyed during an Allied raid on transport concentrations and an advanced landing ground in Tripolilania, according to to-day’s Cairo communique. Enemy forward positions wore bombed and machine-gunned, Reuter’s Algiers correspondent says: “Contact has now been made between General Giraud's headquarters and General le Clerc’s Fighting French column in the Fezzan, ensuring future co-operation. General 1c Clerc has aRo contacted the native camel corps advancing along the Tunisian-Libyan frontier at the rate of 60 miles a day. General 1c Clerc in a message to General de Gaulle, says: “The Fighting French in the Fezzan have thus fat taken more than 700 prisoners, and captured 40 guns. 18 tanks, a• number of lorries, and a consideiablc stock of arms and ammunition.

R.A.F. PILOTS IN NORTH AFRICA

(8.0. W.) RUGBY'. Jan. 14. The first pilot to land on an Algerian airfield on the morning of the Allied landings in North Africa js among a number of Royal Air force pilots who have received awards in the first list for the North African campaign. He is Squadron Leader N. Rook, who led his squadron through bad weather to arrive at the airfield shortly after it had been captured. Alter ‘ landing, he led the squadron against the big attacks the enemy attempted on Algiers. Altogether 23 officers and seven sergeants have been decorated.