GERMANS AWAIT OFFENSIVE

Press, Volume LXXIX, Issue 23915, 6 April 1943, Page 5

GERMANS AWAIT OFFENSIVE

'jJNZ. P ress Association—Copyright) 'll p. m .) LONDON, April 5. *** The latest dispatches from Tuni- , suggest that a resumption of ( jL gth Army’s offensive is imminent. Heavy British batteries ja»t night shelled Marshal Romm»i’s rearguard in the coastal sec{Vof the Wadi Akarit, while •V i Civ Rornarrl Mnrifo'nmprv

General Montgomery

foncentrateaNpowerful tank forces gt Oudref, five miles south of the i wsdi.

American forces, strongly sup- ‘ norted by artillery, are making a tja. attack on the Gabes-Gafsa road. They are now 38 miles from the Bth Army.

Forecasting early Allied often•lves, the German News Agency ,„ s . "The British at Mejez el Bab V have completed regrouping after the inclusion of the Ist Infantry Division, which has hitherto not anpeared on the northern front. There has been a considerable strengthening of artillery.” The News Agency also reports heavy swaying battles east of Maknassi, where the Americans are attempting to debouch to the plains. It adds that the Bth Army ha S carried out additional concentrations in the Oudref area. British assault divisions pushed spearheads towards Marshal Eommel’s defence, after clearing extensive minefields.

To-day’s North African communique says' "In the El Guetar sector yesterday American forces continued to attack against strong opposition. A counter-attack was repulsed and prisoners were taken. In the north, on the Ist Army front, there was patrol activity and some artillery activity on both sides. Concentrations of enemy transport and infantry were severely handled.’’ .... The communique has nothing to report from the Bth Army front, and goes on to describe extensive air operations yesterday. Medium bombers, light bombers, and fighter bombers’ attacked enemy troop concentrations and vehicles. Fighters made many offensive sweeps and patrols over the forward areas. Eleven enemy aircraft were deployed during the day, and five Allied aircraft are missing from all operations, including the raid on Naples. The main news of operations in Tunisia comes from the northern front. The main Allied force, which is still driving along the road to Mateur, has gained a good deal of ground. A second thrust is making progress along the coast, and on Sunday Allied troops were reported to have occupied Cap Serrat, 40 miles from Bizerte. The force includes French troops and Moroccans. The enemy had withdrawn from Cap Serrat and correspondent's report that they are withdrawing from other places in the northern sector, often leaving behind large quantities of materials.

The Berlin radio previously announced that the Germans had “captured" mountain positions at Jefna.

I This is tantamount to an admission of j ! retreat, because Jefna is 20 miles east ‘ of Sedjenane and 10 miles west of Mateur, and it has always been in

>serman hands. Dispatches from the front line emphasise that the occupation of Cap Selrat is valuable because it anchors the Allied line to the sea coast. The Germans-.Apparently are retreating hastily, leaving ammunition dumps and supplies undestroyed. Progress of Americans Lieutenant-General Patton’s American 2nd Corps, in spite of the difficulties of the terrain and extensive minefields, is persisting with its drive from El Guetar to link up with General Montgomery. The Algiers radio tonight reported that the Americans had advanced, killing many Germans, taking prisoners, and destroying or capturing a large number of tanks. The radio added that Axis forces had launched powerful tank-supported counter-attacks, bqt these had all-been repulsed, after which the Americans gained ground. Reuter’s correspondent reports that the Americans captured more than 30 mortars, which are valuable prizes, because mortars are one of the most deadly and most accurate weapons which the Germans are using against infantry. 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 10 miles south of El Guetar. 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. French Repulse Tank Attacks The French in the Pichon area re-

pulsed two tank attacks. A French communique states: ‘ North of Sedjenane our troops continued their methodical advance and mop-E-up operations. Cap Serrat has occupied. On the central sector there has been patrol activity. Southwest ot Pichon our artillery repelled two enemy local attacks, which were supported by tanks. On the southern sector, our units are in close contact with the enemy, and there is intense patrol activity on both sides. One of our patrols captured prisoners.’’ A correspondent of the Columbia Broadcasting System says numbers of Austrians in the northern sector and Italians in the south are coming over, waving Allied safe-conduct leaflets. “Since the beginning of the offensive on March 19, the Axis has been steadily losing well over double the number of aircraft lost by the Allies, says a correspondent attached to Allied headquarters in North Africa. Up to and including April 2, 172 Axis aircraft were destroyed, compared witn 75 of our own. Only on one day have we lost more than the enemy eight to six. The highest score was on March 22, when 26 enemy aircraft were destroyed for the loss of seven. The 1 best day's average was on March Zb, Urg£Taxis tanker SUNKSUPPLIES FOR TUNISIA DESTROYED t8.0.W.) RUGBY, April 4. The Admiralty announces that a large and valuable enemy tanker, fully laden with supplies for the Axis forces 'a Tunisia, was sunk in the Mediterranean by a British submarine under joe command of Lieutenant L. M. McUeoch, R.N. The tanker, which was accompanied by a strong escort of four destroyers, was intercepted off Trapani, north-west Sicily. The submarine made an attack from close range and hit the tanker with & three torpedoes. A heavy but ineffec-counter-attack was made by the oyers. _ Atubmarine sunder the command of MWtenant R, J. Clutterbuck, R.N., carIJM out a bombardment of oil storage SBks at Impcria, in northern Italy, •how batteries replied to the sub"'•fine’s fire, but without effect.