New Advances In Africa

Evening Post, Volume CXXXV, Issue 101, 30 April 1943, Page 5

New Advances In Africa

LONDON, April 29. I The fierce battle for the Tunisian bridgehead shows no sign of slackening1, and throughout the battle zone as a whole we are still gaining ground. j The enemy is still fighting with increased ferocity on the whole front. British, American, and French troops have smashed their way deeper into the Axis bridgehead in the past 24 hours, but are still coming up against stiff resistance and repeated counter-attacks. Along the north coast French Moroccan troops have advanced still nearer Bizerta. They have captured an important height and inflicted heavy casualties. South of the French troops the American Second Corps have fought their way to the slopes of a big hill 15 miles from Mateur. Near the Americans men of the First Army have been taking part in some of the fiercest fighting of the campaign around the road from Medjez el Bab to Tebourba. This -road is dominated by hills on both sides, and our troops are having to storm tHe heights one by one. On Tuesday General Anderson's men fought their way to within 400 feet of the top of an important hill on the south side of the Tebourba road, and nine miles from this vital base.

The Germans threw in two powerful counter-attacks. Our men fought off the'first, but had to yield Mine ground to the second. Our bombers , then went into action, blasting the enemy positions, and flying low with what one correspondent calls "the regularity of London tube trains coming into Piccadilly Circus station." After the enemy defences had been softened, our infantry stormed forward again, and a later message said that they were on top of the hill and advancing down the other side. Further down the front, First Army units, together with French troops, are advancing towards Pont dv Fans. General Anderson's men are within a few miles of this enemy communication centre, while the French, after cutting the road from Pont dv Fahs to Erifldaville, are consolidating their position. ■ ■ ■ ■ Other French troops operating on the left flank of the Eighth Army have capftired two important' heights, and threaten the enemy, position at Pont dv Fahs from yet another direction. In addition to attacks in the battle area, our air forces were active over the Sicilian Straits and the Gulf of Tunis yesterday, when we destroyed six enemy ships. Aircraft based on Malta raided Syracuse, and United States Liberators from the Middle East attacked Messina and the docks at Naples.- ■ ■ There was low cloud and haze over the. Tunisian battle area, but_ our bomber force kept up its attacks in front of the Eighth and First Army fronts. On the First Army front, British and American fighter squadrons '. operated in rapid relays. Altogether in 24 hours we have destroyed V 24 enemy aircraft, 18 of them in North African operations, for the loss of three of ours. „ ' A correspondent, describing the battle of supply, tells how two roads each 12 miles long were;built by sapgers in five days. They had three ridges, one "with a span of 100 feet, and the two others with 80-foot spans. He says that 2000 tons of spoil were used to fill the potholes on these roads along which our supplies and troops > move up to the front. Another correspondent reports that - the people in Tripoli are getting bigger rations than at any time since the war began, and that the rations are going to be increased soon. The inhabitants * are getting half a pound of bread a r day, and it is white bread.-