French Now Ten Miles Away

Press, Volume LXXIX, Issue 23941, 7 May 1943, Page 5

French Now Ten Miles Away

AMERICAN ADVANCE ON FERRYVILLE (N.Z., Press Association—Copyright.) (Rec. 11 p-m.) LONDON, May 6. The French and American troops in northern Tunisia have still further increased their threat to cut off Bizerte from the rest of Axis-held Tunisia. The French in the coastal sector have pushed further east, and are probably nearer Bizerte than the Americans, advancing from Mateur. The overnight French communique said that they had reached the edge of the plain behind Bizerte, within 10 miles of the base. An agency message says that a powerful Allied column was reported on .Tuesday night to be only nine miles away. The Americans advancing north-west from Mateur are reported by the Algiers radio to be half way to Ferryville, which means that they are about six miles from this town, where the Bizerte defensive zone begins. Ferryville is an inland port and arsenal on the shores of Lake Garaa-Achkel. South-east of Pont du Fahs, the French are known to have pushed on for several miles in their drive up the western slopes of Jebel Zaghouan, which rises to 4000 feet and is the highest mountain in Tunisia. Only patrol activity is reported from the Bth Army front.

Yesterday’s communique from Algiers said: “To midnight on Tuesday activity continued all along the Tunisian front. The French and the Ist Army continued their successful advance against stiffening resistance, while further north in the sector east of Mejez el Bab a strong counter-attack was repulsed with considerable enemy losses, including two Mark VI and nine Mark IV tanks, and one Mark lIL of a total of 17 tanks employed by the enemy. “The 2nd United States Corps in the northern sector continued to make steady progress in co-operation with the French on their left. At least one enemy counter-attack v/as driven off. “Active patrolling continued on the Bth Army front, but the situation remained unchanged. “Bad weather on Tuesday restricted operations by the North-west African Air Forces. Tactical Air Force fighters continued patrols over the forward area. Light and medium bombers and fighter-bombers attacked gun positions and motor transport. One enemy aero, plane was destroyed on Tuesday. None of ours is missing. It is now known that the crew of four from an aeroplane reported missing earlier is safe.” The Algiers radio broadcast a French communique, which said: “Advanced French elements have reached the western edge of the plain extending to Bizerte. The French African Corps advancing along the coast has now reached the tip of Cap el Koran, South-east of Pont du Fahs, French troops, in spite of fierce enemy resistance, advanced several kilometres in the general direction of Jebel Zaghouan.” An American force from Mateur is advancing south-east toward Tebourba, and Allied patrols are reported to have taken a small place six miles from there. Tebourba is also threatened by Ist Army men, who have reached a point 10 miles away. They are still meeting vigorous counter-attacks, but yesterday they gave the German armolur a severe knock in a carefullylaid trap. Seventeen enemy tanks ran into am anti-tank gunners’ ambush and wery caught at close range. At least 12 jjvere knocked out, including two ssson Mark VI “Tigers,” and the total may rise to 14. The enemy also German Counter-Attack "Von Arnim's most serious effort in the last 24 hours was made about 11 miles north-east of Mejez el Bab,” says Reuter’s correspondent at Allied Headquarters. “Here a composite panzer force hit at the Ist Army’s spearhead near Jebel Bou Aoukaz. It is clear that the Axis is clinging fiercely to this key sector on the Mejez el Bab-Tebourba road. Only the hardest fighting will prod them from their mountain strongholds.

in the last two days were shelling Mateur,” says the Algiers correspondent of the National Broadcasting Corporation. "We have already taken many Axis airfields in the last part of the campaign, which so far has netted an estimated total of 5000 prisoners. The bag will grow as the entire front comes within the scope of action.”

The position in Tunisia is dramatically summed up in a report which says; “The Allies are within 10 miles of Bizerte, five miles of Ferryville, and 12 miles of Tunis,” but this statement is subject to reservations, although the Allies are clearly increasing their pressure against the two main objectives, Bizerte and Tunis, and are further limiting the space in which it is possible for the Axis forces to operate effectively. The correspondent of the British United Press at Allied Headquarters says that the Axis is now hemmed in in a narrow area of Tunisia, which is estimated at 2500 square miles. Von Arnim is concentrating his "main strength on the road to Tunis, and is occupying hills west of Tebourba, in spite of the increasing threat of being outflanked from the north. The Americans and French are aiming to close the trap round Bizerte. To the south-west one column swung round thtf western shore of Lake Garaa-Achkel, and travelling through a heavy storm, reached Jebel Chemti on the northern side. Their progress was too fast for the Germans, who threw in a fair-sized force in an apparently hastily planned counterattack. The attack was not only repulsed, but the Americans, in a second attack, brought their units up the western slopes of the hill which dominates the crossroads north-west of Ferryville. They are now clinging strongly to these positions, which are only 13 miles from Bizerte. Nevertheless, it is obvious that the Germans intend to cling to Jebel Chemti as long as possible. South-east of Mateur

"The Germans have thoroughly prepared the ground around Massicault, on the main Mejez el Bab-Tunis road, for defensive action.

An American column advanced across the river Tine to Jebel Makna, eight miles south-east of Mateur. Here the enemy could only resist feebly. His counter-attack was smashed almost as soon as it started. Jebel Makna is the first large ridge east of the river Tine, and it is a good jumping off place for attacks down towards the Tunisian plain. The correspondent of the Associated Press of Great Britain with the Ist Army describes an extraordinary incident in an action which one British heavy anti-tank gun knocked out six German tanks before being itself destroyed by a shell from the last victim.

"Farther south the French troops who struck across the Pont du FahsEnfidaville road made one of the main Allied attacks. Advancing at the first gleam of light, they met fierce opposition on the vital highway, and by night were two miles north of the road. Von Arnim has been using this road for supplying the troops opposed to the Bth Army, His problem of holding back the Bth Army now becomes more difficult, In the meantime, heavy and difficult fighting lies before the French In the Zaghouan area.” The Vichy radio, quoting German Military authorities, admits that the trench have now completely outflanked Pont du Fahs, and adds that ‘he fighting along the whole front is characterised by the crushing superiorly of Allied troops and their modern weapons. The correspondent of the National broadcasting Corporation in Algiers reports that the important railway line worn Pont du Fahs to Enfidavllle has neen cut. It is the enemy’s main supply line to the south. The Germans, he “®ys, probably will be forced to withdraw on the Bth Army's front. A correspondent at Allied Headquarters said last night that French tt?°P s J were now on ly four miles from £ont du Fahs on the south, and three <£?.f. vva y on *hc and south-east, oidi Ahmed, the big airfield of ■mzerte, about six miles from the city. reported to be under the fire of Allied long-range guns, which only

The correspondent states: “The Germans put down a smokescreen and smoke swirled thick in the mountain gap. One of our guns, by a freak, was not obscured by smoke and the guncrew had a clear view of a rise of ground over which the enemy armour was expected to appear. Suddenly three tanks poked their steel into range of our anti-tank gun, which picked them off like wood pigeons. Then two more were seen and the gun again scored direct hits with two rounds. Finally the sixth tank came within range. A senior officer .said: ‘lt was almost unbelievable, but the tank and the gun fired simultaneously and both hit their targets. The tank was disabled and two members of the crew were killed. The enemy was unable to salvage any tanks. Our sappers blew them up. It was a great clay's work.”

attacks ox axis SHIPPING LARGE MERCHANTMAN SUNK Jfyc 10 p.m.) LONDON, May 5. .Ljlio-day'.s Allied communique says: naval forces engaged in a sweep against the Axis supply lines on Monday night intercepted a large merchantman, escorted by an Italian 650>on torpedo-boat of the Cassiopaca class, east of Cape Bon. The merchantman. which was carrying ammumtion and vehicles from Naples to Tunis, was blown up. Some of the survivors were rescued. We suffered n % t * lcr d ama ge nor casualties.” The Algiers radio reports that American aeroplanes sank an Axis destroycr off Cape Bon. Apart from the support given the ground forces in Tunisia, the Allied air lorces operating in this theatre have shown remarkable flexibility in the variety ox targets they have attacked, ■n was disclosed yesterday that between April 21 and May 2 pilots attacking shipping in the Mediterranean reported that they sank 14 enemy ships, set on fire 20, and damaged another 10. Among the ships sunk or set on fire were two ucstroyers and a cruiser. The air-borne supply route was also deayily hit by aeroplanes from North African bases, and 193 transport aircraft were shot down between the end £ March and the end of April. These transports would be capable of carrying 636 tons of goods or 6000 lullye Quipped soldiers.

SPEECH IN ROME BY MUSSOLINI

“WE WILL RETURN TO AFRICA” (Rcc. 9 p.m.) LONDON, May 5. The Rome radio said that Mussolini, addressing a crowd from a balcony on the Piazza Venezia, said: "We will return to Africa. God is just. Italy is immortal. We will win. "The creation of Italy’s African Empire was announced from this balcony seven years ago. It is not finished, This is not the end of our development, but merely a pause. “Many millions of Italians are suffering from ‘African sickness.’ The only way to cure it is to return to Africa, Three demands dominate the Italian people: first, honour for their fighters: second, contempt for cowards; and third, bullets for traitors."