GREAT SPEED OF ADVANCE

Press, Volume LXXIX, Issue 23920, 12 April 1943, Page 5

GREAT SPEED OF ADVANCE

THREAT TO AXIS RIGHT FLANK FIGHTING NORTH OF FONNDOUK (N.Z. Press Association—Copyright) (Rec. 12,30 a.m.) LONDON, April 11. The irresistible Bth Army is now streaming north from Sfax in relentless pursuit of Marshal Rommel’s routed forces. British progress in recent stages has been exceptionally fast. The Bth Army, after storming the Wadi Akarit, covered the 72 miles to Sfax in four days. They advanced the 22 miles from Mahares to Sfax in less than 19 hours, which is attributed to the fact that the Germans’ retreat was so precipitate that they were unable to carry out their customary laying of a profusion of minefields. Also, the flat coastal plain enabled the British to exploit their mechanised mobility. It is expected that Marshal Rommel will attempt to hold up the British advance if the ground is favourable south of Sousse, but dispatches from Allied Headquarters suggest that his ultimate defences will be the mountainous area running roughly from Enfidaville (12 miles north of Sousse) to north-west of Pont du Fahs. Marshal Rommel, besides having General Montgomery pounding on his heels, is now facing an increasingly grave menace to his right flank by the Allied break-through in the mountains bordering the .coastal plain. Indeed, Marshal Rommel’s union with General von Arnim may become impossible. The capture of Pichon by a British battalion has secured a key point on the road to Kairouan and Sousse. The tank battle north of Fonndouk, following the occupation of Pichon, is reported to be proceeding satisfactorily. The Allied battle line in this area is: British tanks in the centre, French infantry on the left, American infantry on the right. The Frencn operations further north in the Ousseltia Valley are aiding this movement. The French communique states; “After consolidation of the position at Ousseltia, our troops, in cooperation with the Allies, attacked, advancing more than 10 miles north of Pichon and in the mountains of Jebel Selat, which dominate the Kairouan plain. We captured a great many prisoners and much war material.”

AXIS PRISONERS

MESSAGE TO N.Z. DIVISION

20,000 TAKEN SINCE MARCH 20

(Rec. 3 p.m.) LONDON, April 10. The Algiers radio said that since March 20 nearly 20,000 Axis prisoners had been taken. Some belonged to the German 19th Light Division. There were also many Italians taken during the same period. Three hundred and two Axis aeroplanes had been shot down, compared with 110 Allied. General Montgomery, in a personal message to the Bth Army on April 8, said; “If we collect prisoners at the present rate, the enemy will soon have no infantry left to hold his positions.” The capture of an Italian general, General Manerini, and also an Italian desert group headquarters is reported from Algiers. The Associated Press correspondent in Algiers reports that the United States 2nd Corps, mopping up east of El Guetar, has taken 1300 Axis prisoners. Correspondents continue to emphasise the terrific blitzing the Allied air forces are , giving the Axis, seriously disorganising Marshal Rommel’s retreat. They say that the Italians are so shaken by the aerial bombardment that hundreds of Italian prisoners, hearing German aircraft overhead, flung themselves to the ground, . . , As the total of prisoners captured since the fall of the Mareth Line has mounted, the total taken by the Bth Army since General Alexander assumed command has reached 100,000. General Alexander, speaking to correspondents, expressed pride in the fighting spirit of the British, American, and French troops under his commanc'.. and paid a tribute to the contribution of the United States 2nd Corps towards the victory of the Bth Army. One correspondent at Allied Headquarters in North Africa reports that now that the Bth Army has burst through the Gabes Gap it has forced Marshal Rommel to operate on a broacer front. While he held the Gabes Gap. he had to defend only a short bottleneck. Now the Bth Army has the whole of the wide coastal plain on which to manoeuvre and to employ to the full its large mobile columns. The Axis forces are in a difficult position but there is no doubt that they will’ fight hard and that victory will not be a walk-over. , Polish fighter pilots are now taking part in the Tunisian battle. They recently scored three successes, two of them being by the Polish ace pilot Squadron Leader Skalsi, who has 11 German aircraft destroyed to his credit.

CONGRATULATIONS FROM AUSTRALIA (Rec 11 p.m.) SYDNEY, April 11. Sir Thomas Blarney, Commander ot the Allied land forces in the southwest Pacific area, has sent the following message to Lieutenant-General Sir Bernard Freyberg, commander of the New Zealand Division: “Congratulations to yourself, the officers, and men of your magnificent division on the further recent successes, from all ranks of the Australian Army and myself.” Lieutenant-General Freyberg replied; “No message could give greater pleasure to the New Zealand Division than yours. On behalf of all ranks 1 send our warmest thanks and best wishes to the Australian Army for continued success in their grim campaign in New Guinea.”