JUNCTION OF FORCES

Press, Volume LXXIX, Issue 23919, 10 April 1943, Page 5

JUNCTION OF FORCES

BTH ARMY AND AMERICANS LONDON, April 8. The first full story of the-meeting Of the Bth Army and the Americans in Tunisia has been received in London from a 8.8.C. correspondent, Frank Gillard, who was only a few miles away from, the actual scene when the forces joined up. The correspondent was following the Bth Army’s advance when he received news that the two forces had met. Some sort of a rearguard action was going on in the hills to the right, and the sound of shell-fire could be plainly heard. There blazing Axis vehicles were seen and hundreds of enemy troops were streaming down from the hills to surrender.

Suddenly a Jeep carrying an American sergeant and two French soldiers came into view. They were the first through after the union of the two forces, and they were almost speechless with excitement. j The correspondent went on, and coming over the hill saw a tank in front of him. His party was not sure of its identity until they were greeted with “Hello, old timer,” by the tank commander, a Kentucky man. As they went on they were greeted by American troops, who, in reply to their wave, yelled at them and gave the “V” sign.

Armoured Car Patrols Meet

The actual meeting of the forces occurred when a patrol of the Bth Army, consisting of armoured cars of a famous cavalry regiment, saw another patrol moving from the hills. At first the American and British patrols, were suspicious of each other, but soon the British commander went forward and shook hands with the American commander. They spoke a few words of greeting and went off to the north together in pursuit of the retreating Axis forces.

Reuter’s correspondent at Allied Headquarters, referring to the meeting of the Bth Army’s left flank with the Americans from El Guetar, states: "This historic link-up has opened a new phase of the North African campaign. The Allies are now on the threshold of the successful completion of their first great offensive action. They, for the first time, have a direct land supply route from the Atlantic to the Red Sea. The Bth Army has now shortened its line of communication by several thousand miles. Although the sea route through the Mediterranean is not yet completely clear, the land route along the southern shores has been freed for Allied use. The Bth Army has achieved a strategic gain as great as an immediate military success.”

General Eisenhower, in a message of congratulation to General Alexander on the successful operations which joined the victorious Bth Army with the British, French, and American forces, said that while great difficulties and bitter fighting still lay ahead, the 18th Battle Group and air forces were in a position to exact a full price from the enemy. "If Marshal Rommel tries to leave Africa he will have a stormy passage across the Sicilian Straits," he added.