TUNISIAN CAMPAIGN

Greymouth Evening Star, 6 March 1943, Page 5

TUNISIAN CAMPAIGN

AXIS GAIN IN NORTH FRENCH REPORT CAPTURES LONDON, March 5. The North African communique says Axis forces have reached the village of Sedjenane, 12 miles from the Tunisian coast west of Mateur. The attack was held after fierce fighting in the streets. The communique reports that in the central sector Allied forces are consolidating their positions. Correspondents say that in the northern sector the Allies still hold Medjez el Bab. Agency messages report activity by French troops in the neighbourhood of the salt lakes in the south. North of the Shott el Jerid, French troops are reported to have taken two important points in the Gafsa area. They nave also been in touch with the enemy south of the lake. COUNTER-ATTACK SUCCCEEDS (Recd. 10.45 a.m.) LONDON, Mar. 5. After a successful counter-attack, the British now control the BejaMateur road for at least 10 miles, north-east of Benj. Von Arnim is using relatively few tanks in the north sector. His infantry is being mown down by British artillery and tanks. British artillery is heavily shelling German troops occupying high ground north-east of Medjezelbab. The Germans yesterday several times vainly tried to drive the British from this strategically important town. A military spokesman reports that the British in the past two days rounded up many hundreds of prisoners. According to the Algiers radio, the Germans lost 26 tanks, including several 60-tonners, in yesterday’s thrusts in the Beja area.

MASS ENEMY ATTACK COMING

(Recd. 10.50 a.m.) LONDON, Mar. 5. Reuter’s correspondent with the First Army says: The Germans appear to be re-grouping in the BejaMedjezelbab areas for a big attack which will posibly prove to be the last in Northern Tunisia. It is learned that Germans yesterday briefly held Sedjenane, where fighting was probably the heaviest in this sector. The Germans first launched infantry into the battle, after which they loosed scores of armoured vehicles. British attacks with Churchill tanks caused the enmy to beat a hasty retreat after numbers of armour vehicles had been knocked out. The Algiers correspondent of the National Broadcasting Corporation says that fighting went on all yesterday in Sedjenane from street to street. A British battalion cut off m the early stages of the battle inflicted heavy enemy casualties, and some from one company managed to fight their way back through the Germans to their own lines. The correspondent adds that Allied forces are well established in the Fa id Pass. French troops yesterday drove oft a German patrol six miles southwest of Ousseltia. Units of General Giraud’s camel corps occupied Mides, 40 miles west of Gafsa. General Giraud’s spokesman said that the French under General Juin occupied tow important points in the Gafsa area, increasing the threat to Gafsa. AERIAL OPERATIONS 'RUGBY, March 5. The Allied Forces Command post in North Africa states: “.Heavy fighting continued yesterday in the town of Sedjenane, where a determined enemy attack was. successfully held, after close fighting in the streets. A „ In the central sector, Allied forces continued to consolidate the recent gains. Leading elements ol the French forces yesterday occupied Nefta on the western border of Shott Jerid Salt Lake. Reconnaissance patrols were also active further east. On the Eighth Army front, enemy activity intensified in all sectors of the Mareth position, where our patrols were very active. Attacks on enemy transport, both land and sea were continued Vestel - day and the previous night. Attacks by our bombers on enemy convoys between Sicily and Tunisia Resulted in some ships being sunk and otheis da Enemy road transport in southern Tunisia were bombed on Wednesday night and yesterday. Fighter bombers and fighters attacked enemy vehicles both in the southern and northern sectors, and medium bombers attacked objectives at Jedba. In the northern sector patrol, oui fighters intercepted a formation oi Junkers 87’s escorted by Messerschmitts, and forced the enemy to jettison the bombs, and shot down two. Two enemy fighters and one bomber were destroyed in southern Tunisia. From all these operations, two ol our aircraft are missing. A New Zealander, Sergeant-Pilot Cowan Ashworth, twenty-one, eained the right to write to his brother, Squadron-Leader Arthur Ashworth, D. 5.0., D.F.C., who returned home after participating in many raids in Tunisia. Sergeant Ashworth did not want to write to his brother until he got his first enemy plane. He had just got a Junkers 88, which he shot down over the Mediterranean. spanisjTaction TANGIER, March 5. The Spanish authorities last night seized the French postal and telegraph office at Tangier, after heated negotiations all day.