6000 PRISONERS TAKEN

Press, Volume LXXIX, Issue 23917, 8 April 1943, Page 5

6000 PRISONERS TAKEN

(N.Z. Press Association—Copyright)

(Rec. 11 p.m.)

LONDON, April 7,

“I have received reports from the High Command in Tunisia that a new victory has been gained by the desert army,” said Mr Churchill in the House of Commons to-day.

“At 4.30 a.m. yesterday, in the darkness of a moonless night, General Sir Bernard Montgomery ordered his main force to the assault of the enemy’s Wadi Akarit positions north of Gabes. The advance of the British and Indian infantry divisions was preceded and covered by a barrage of 500 guns, practically on the Alamein scale.

“The enemy seemed to be taken by surprise by this attack out of the pitch darkness on his fortified positions. By noon all the key points were in our hands.

“A hole was, blasted in the enemy’s 12-miles defence line through which our armour was ordered to advance. The enemy tried to restore the position, but all his counter-attacks were repulsed. The advance of the British armour continued, and by nightfall yesterday the open country had been reached.

“We have taken more than 6000 prisoners so far. Marshal Rommel’s army is now retreating northwards and is being pursued.”

Mr Churchill added that this successful frontal attack would make possible a junction with the American forces thrusting from the west. The whole operations of the group of armies on the Tunisian front were being concerted by General Sir Harold Alexander under the supreme commander, General Dwight D. Eisenhower. Asked if the enemy forces encountered in the Wadi Akarit were Marshal Rommel’s main forces or were rearguard units, Mr Churchill said: “My statement covers the whole position. The enemy’s retreat did not begin until our assault was successful.” "The Bth Army resumed its offensive after a ferocious night bombardment by concentrated artillery,” says an American Associated Press correspondent at Allied Headquarters. “British troops smashed into outlying enemy posts, with tanks following closely in support. The attacking forces encountered terrific artillery fire and many mines.” “A Power Move” The correspondent of the “New York Times,” Frank Kluckhohn, says: "General Montgomery launched his attack r*'”?nput waiting for a junction with Americans, which might have enMarshal Rommel to get fully set. This is a power move, obviously designed to lead to the complete crushing of Marshal Rommel as quickly as possible.

Reuter’s correspondent with the sth Army says that large Axis forces were sighted at dusk on Monday moving from the area of the Gabes Gap after putting up a smokescreen in front of the American positions along the main road to Gabes.

Heavy enemy traffic was observed withdrawing north-eastward. A large German tank concentration near Jebel Berda was bombed yesterday, after which it withdrew. The Germans were Inactive on Tuesday morning. American patrols on the El Guetar front made contact with the enemy at only one point. There are signs that the Americans have intensified their attacks to synchronise with the move made by the Bth Army. East of El Guetar, they have captured two heights and have made further progress along the road to Gabes in the face of stiff enemy resistance. Infantry patrols advanced five miles along the Gabes road at this point, and patrols were active to the south of the road. At one point, a 'German counter-attack with tanks was dispersed after an air bombardment. The Morocco radio reports that the Afrika Korps has begun a methodical retreat northward along the coastal road. “The latest air observations,” it states, "have revealed that Rommel has entrusted his crack troops, the German Grenadiers, to fight a delaying rearguard action. The Allies repulsed two German counter-attacks in the approaches to Pichon. In spite of all Axis efforts the Allies are strengthening the ring around the enemy.”

“The Americans and French, and the British Ist Army are holding Rommel in the coastal plain or along the easterly line of mountains, while the Bth Army, with the most experienced fighters in Africa, pounds his rear." “The Fighting French, who covered the west flank of the New Zealanders’ drive to El Hamma, are now moving up the coast northwards of Gabes In the course of operations with the Bth Army.” reports a “N§w York Times” correspondent. “Their strength is not revealed, but it is believed to equal that of the New Zealanders, and to include an armoured division from Egypt ao.d the column General Le ClercJed across the desert from Lake Chad.*-

R.A.F. TARGETS IX FRANCE DIEPPE, CAEN, AND ST. OMER mines laid in enemy WATERS 11 P-m.) LONDON, April 7. The Royal Air Force last night laid mines in enemy waters. Two aircraft •re missing. No enemy raiders were over Britain i a st night, but there were two tip-®nd-run attacks on the south coast during the day. It is believed that one tamer was brought down into the sea. toman anti-aircraft gunners hit one oi their own buildings when a squadron of Canadian Spitfires carried out Jow-levd attacks on railway targets Dieppe yesterday. Just before dusk, fighter-bombers, escorted by Typhoons, attacked a steel works at Caen, and others attacked the aerodrome at St. Omer. All the machines returned. There were no German fighters up. ,in addition to the big daylight oftensives, Fighter Command aircraft have also been active during darkness sweeping the Channel in search of „ ® ne my shipping. One aircraft bombed ( ° n ,® medium and one small ship 10 miles north of Dieppe. The observer saw the bombs go down on the target, I and he estimated that the leading ship s Was hit by more than one bomb. There ) was a large flash and sparks were folnames. Typhoons last night damaged go of four E-boats sighted near Le Fighters destroyed an enemy aircraft off the north-east coast of England to-day. The Berlin radio has announced that According to preliminary figures the attack on Antwerp killed <OO7 persons and wounded 603. There are still 130 missing. A hundred houses were destroyed. The radio said that “11 persons were killed in the Amerii ca JL? a Vi ° n BRlancourt. ho'ur'will come when the Luftwill strike back blows more teri,lble than ever,” said a German High ■J Command spokesman, referring to the \ American daylight raids on Antwerp and on the Renault works at Billancourt. Reports received in Stockholm from say it is estimated that “10,000 people, mainly women, children, arid unable to work, had oeen evaluated from Essen before the last British raid. POSSIBILITY OF GAS IVARFARE inference from german STATEMENT (Hec. 1.45 a.m.) LONDON, April 7. • A mysterious forecast by General JJietmar, the German military spokesman, has caused a general belief in ■Berlin that gas war is coming this summer, states a report received from Zurich from the German capital. General Dietmar said; “Alter the experiences of the winter battle Germany will apply means of warfare no wnger connected with the production ln weapons and munitions. No «,:4u e^ ra ,^ on troops will be able to withstand this means of warfare. The vast stretches of Russian territory demand from Germany the conduct of me war under exceptional laws.’’

“MORE U-BOATS THAN EVER” SHIPPING LOSSES IN ATLANTIC (8.0. W.) RUGBY, April 6. The United States Secretary of the Navy (Colonel Frank Knox), referring to increased shipping losses, said that more German submarines than ever were now abroad. They were concentrated in mid-Atlantic and there had been another change in submarine tactics. Although it was difficult to determine what effect the Allied aerial blows against the submarine pens at continental ports would have on the Battle of the Atlantic, Colonel Knox said he thought it could be assumed that these attacks were embarrassing the Germans, if for no other reason than the disruption of activities round the bases.

“The Times” says that if Germany has deliberately chosen to use against Britain the submarine weapon, which must limit her use of the air arm to some extent, this has been because she considers it the most deadly weapon she can employ against Britain,- the British Empire, and the United States.

‘‘The Times" adds: “It might be argued that the U-boat is the one weapon which affords Germany the remotest chance of avoiding defeat. The anti-submarine war has conditioned every phase of British and American activity and it has coloured every future prospect before their arms. If the new tonnage from the shipyards were not overtaking the depreciation caused by submarines the outlook would be bleak indeed, but comfort drawn from the figures of new building must be qualified by the recollection that losses inevitably impose dislocation of supplies and plans. “New exertions, therefore, are demanded of the British, especially in production, since it has been a deficiency of material on the water and in the air, rather than erroneous methods of defence, which has brought about the present state of affairs.”

‘The new German tactics in the Atlantic include the use of 21-knot interceptor U-boats which chase and shadow Allied convoys and guide the U-boat packs to them,” says the naval correspondent of the “Daily Mail.” “Allied shipping losses in the Atlantic were ‘considerably worse’ last month than in February, because of Intensified enemy operations. “The interceptor U-boats are able sometimes to radio a rendezvous ahead to the packs by an underwater communication system. The interceptors only attack a convoy when there is little chance of arranging a meeting with a pack.”

Death of British M.P. —The death has occurred of Lieutenant-Colonel E. O. Kellett, D.5.0.. Conservative member of Parliament for Aston. He was killed in action while serving with the Bth Army.—London, April 6.