KASSERIN PASS ABANDONED

Press, Volume LXXIX, Issue 23883, 27 February 1943, Page 5

KASSERIN PASS ABANDONED

German Forces Withdraw NO RESISTANCE OFFERED j (N.Z. Press Association—Copyright) (Rec. 11 p.m.) LONDON, February 26. The Germans have abandoned the Kasserin Pass, according to dispatches from reporters on the Tunisian front. The final capture of the pass is stated to have been achieved without jneeting resistance. The Axis forces are also believed to have left the town of Kasserin and to have withdrawn their main forces from the town of Gafsa, further south. Allied guns shelled the Kasserin Pass all night, and during the barrage the German artillery withdrew, leaving extensive minefields to hamper the Allied forces. When the Germans were compelled to quit the pass British troops advanced along its eastern shoulder, and United States troops along the western shoulder. The Germans abandoned many captured Allied tanks and other vehicles, which they had failed to destroy.

back to the PLAINS german move EARLIER REPORTS OF FIGHTING (Kec. 10 p.m.) LONDON, Feb. 25. The Axis forces are retreating from the Kasserin pass to the plains east of Kasserin, Feriana, and Sbeitla, but they have not yet left the pass entirely. There is a possibility that the Axis forces may attempt to approach Tebessa by striking around the southern bend of the hills in which the Kasgerin pass lies. While British and American troops are swarming into the Kasserin pass, the Allied air forces have spread their air assaults deep in the enemy’s rear. “Under heavy blows from British and American air and land forces the Germans are pouring back into the open plain south of the three miles wide Kasserin gap,” says Reuter’s Algiers correspondent. “The tight compact mass of troops is suffering heavy losses, Italian troops being sacrificed in an attempt to hold the German rear. Another Axis force is still falling back along the foad to Feriana under increasing attacks from Allied fighters and bombers.” Allied troops are keeping up their pressure on the enemy retreating in the Kasserin and Thala areas, states a correspondent with the North African Army. They have penetrated the Kaserin gap and are hot on the heels of the Germans and Italians. Reports from the area indicate that advanced Allied patrols are in contact with the enemy just inside the pass. The Allied forces to the north-east in the Sblba area, where the enemy made two tank attacks during the week-end, have also pushed forward. The German-controlled Paris radio says British and American reinforcements have reached the Tebessa area. |The Berlin radio, admitting the with- ' drawal, said the Axis forces had fallen back to positions which permitted control of the Allied development area. Allied Air Attack Although the weather was not particularly good for flying, Allied bombers and fighters kept up their pounding of the enemy at Kasserin. Martin Marauders made a raid on the El Aoulna aerodrome, the Tunis terminus of the enemy's transport aeroplane service. Bursts were seen among aeroplanes parked on the airfield. --Many were destroyed, and large fires were started. Marauders were attacked by 25 to 30 enemy fighters, six of which were shot down, five of them by bombers and one by escorting fighters. Boston bombers attacked the railway yard at Sbeitla. Another formation of bombers, escorted by Spitfires, bombed and strafed an enemy column, Airacobras attacked enemy vehicles south of Kasserin. French bombers went into action for the first time in this campaign when they attacked an enemy concentration at Nefta, west of the salt flats in the south. R.A.F. fighters were active in the forward areas, strafing roads, and Bisley bombers attacked supply roads in the Kasserin-Feriana-Gafsa area. When the Germans/ broke through from the Kasserin pass they received such a plastering from the air as to make their positions untenable. However, the new German positions are valuable and they have every reason to be aggressive. The situation has now been restored to last week's alignment except that the Germans have suffered heavy and possibly irreparable losses in tanks and equipment. Reuter's correspondent on the Tunisian front says many of the Italians cut off in the pass leading to Siliana have already surrendered. An attempt to relieve them by a second battalion sent from the Ousseltia valley failed completely. French sources in Algiers report a fresh Axis attempt on the French lines west of Ousseltia. which was repulsed with serious losses to the enemy. The French forces arc clearing up pockets of enemy resistance. Another report says French troops sallying out of the mountains west of the Ousseltia Valley have crushed enemy positions one alter another in what may be another determined Allied drive in that sector. Algiers radio states that a French artillery regiment has arrived in Egypt from Djibuti. It will receive the most modern weapons before joining the British forces in Tunisia. The Germans have combined two of their most effective desert warfare weapons by mounting their famous 88 millimelrcgun in their new Mark VI tank. The largest Allied tank gun is the 75 millimetre. It is believed that the new German tank has not surprised the Allies, and the answer to it, if not yet ready, is being prepared.

REPULSE OF ENEMY AMERICAN LOSSES OF MATERIAL STATEMENT BY ME H. L. STIMSON (Rec. 10 p.m.) WASHINGTON, Feb. 25. The United States Secretary for War (Mr H. L. Stimson), at a press conference, said: "Marshal Rommel’s forces in Central Tunisia have suffered a clean-cut repulse. Nevertheless, victory will not be easy or quick. “American personnel losses are lighter than was at first believed. Material losses were heavy, including tanks, cars and field guns. However, much of the lost equipment has already been replaced. “Constant air support has vitally helped the successful counter-attacks, but the most significant reaction came from the ground troops. They were not broken by the German advance, and returned with vigour which the Germans were unable to withstand. General Eisenhower reports that all complacency has gone and the soldiers are thoroughly fighting mad.”

Mr Stimson said the greater part of the British Ist Army was still immobilised by the mud in Northern Tunisia, but units from this army gave important assistance to the American troops, hurling back a German column advancing beyond the Kasserin pass. In Southern Tunisia the British Bth Army was beginning to exert heavy pressure. Mr Stimson predicted very heavy fighting on the entire Tunisian front.

Correcting the widespread impression that the American forces in Tunisia were green, Mr Stimson explained that they merely lacked actual combat experience. All of them were highly trained, but they were matched against battle-hardened veterans. “No soldiers of any army learn as quickly or with the same resourcefulness as the Americans,” said Mr Stimson.

ENEMY CONTINUES WITHDRAWAL NORTH AFRICAN COMMUNIQUE (8.0. W.) RUGBY. Feb. 25. Thursday’s North African communique states: “The enemy continued his withdrawal from the pass northwest of Kasserin, where our forward elements are in contact with the enemy. Our patrols arc already in Sbiba, engaged by the enemy. French troops cleared several pockets of resistance which remained from the recent attacks. A number of Italians acting as rearguards to the Germans were captured. “Our fighters and light bombers, following the enemy withdrawal in central Tunisia, made repeated heavy attacks on motor transport and road and rail Installations. Vehicles were destroyed in these attacks. Enemy aircraft dropped bombs behind our lines. One of these aircraft was destroyed. On Tuesday night roads and other targets behind the enemy lines were bombed.

"Yesterday our bombers attacked airfields at Tunis. Many hits were seen among grounded aircraft. Several enemy fighters were shot Mown, and enemy transport was attacked. Six of our aircraft are missing, and one which was previously reported missing is now safe. “In the Bth Army area our armoured cars carried out active patrolling east of the Mareth Line.”

MEDITERRANEAN AIR ACTIVITY RAID ON NAPLES ENEMY SUPPLY SHIP SUNK. (Rtf. a pm.) LONDON, Feb. 26. Naples and Trapani were the targets for the latest raids by American aircraft, A dispatch from Royal Air Force headquarters at Malta on Thursday stated that Royal Air Force torpedobornbors on Wednesday night attacked an enemy convoy north of Trapani, hitting and sinking a large supply ship in five minutes. Another large supply ship was hit by a torpedo and by bombs. A destroyer escorting the convoy was also attacked with torpedoes. intruders wore over Tunisia, Italy and Sicily, whore trains were attacked. Another enemy convoy steaming north of Capo AJici, in Italy, was also attacked.

THE BTH ARMY PATROLS EAST OF MARETH LINE ' LONDON, Feb. 25. Cairo message says General Sir Bernard Montgomery is increasing pressure against the defences of the Marcth line, before which more fighting units arc now joining the Bth Army. The weather is sunnier and drier, and the Royal Air Force is bombing enemy strongpoints. The Bth Army is confident that it can crack the Mareih lino. Although the latest communique refer? onlv to the Bth Army’s patrolling east of the Marcth Line, it is significant that much German strength from Kasscrin is moving southwards toward? Gaf?a in order to reinforce the German garrison there against an altack from the south, A suggestion that General Montgomery will soon Vie on the move again is given by the fact that aircraft’are pounding enemy fortifications and airfields in tlie rear. Similar activity has always heralded an attack by the Bth A rmy.

A Royal Air Force Middle East communique says fighter bombers raided enemy landing grounds at Burdj and Toarr. on Tuesday night, and light bombers attacked a position between the Wadi Zigwau and the Aran-Marelh road, causing explosions and fires, American aeroplanes bombed positions in the same area, fires resulting. Medium and heavy bombers attacked the landing ground at Gabes and the town itself the same night, bombs bursting among dispersed aircraft and starting fires. From all operations one Allied aircraft is missing.

Bomb Explosion. —A heavy explosion. apparently caused by a bomb dropped from an unidentified aeroplane, tore a large crater near an aerodrome on the outskirts of Charlottetown. Prince Edward Island, and shattered windows over a wide area. Residents said bomb fragments were found. Nobody was injured. The Canadian Press says a Royal Canadian Air Force aeroplane apparently jettisoned the bomb when in difficulties. The Air Force has not yet made a statement.— Ottawa, February 25.

Strong French forces arc reported to be deploying below the Shott el Jerid.