PROGRESS IN TUNISIA

Greymouth Evening Star, 6 April 1943, Page 5

PROGRESS IN TUNISIA

NEW OFFENSIVE STARTING ALLIED GAINS IN NORTH ' LONDON, April 5. The Morocco radio said to-day that the fighting in Tunisia continued to develop in favour of the Allies. The Bth Army continues to probe Marshal Rommel’s defences on the Wadi Akarit. British artillery has been shelling the German positions. American forces are making progress east of El Guettar. Forecasting early Allied offensives, the German News Agency says: “The British at Mejez el Bab have completed regrouping after the inclusion of the Ist Infantry Division, which has hitherto not appeared on the northern front. There has been a considerable strengthening of artillery.” The News Agency 'also reports heavy swaying battles east of Maknassi, where the Americans are atempting to debouch to the plains. It adds that the Sth Army has carried out additional concentrations in the Oudref area. British assault divisions pushed spearheads towards Marshal Rommel’s defence, after clearing extensive minefields. The main news of operations in Tunisia comes from the northern front. The main Allied force, which is still driving along the road to Mateur, has gained a good deal of ground. A second thrust is makingprogress along the coast, and on Sunday Allied troops were reported to have occupied Cap Serrat, 40 miles from Bizerta. The force includes French troops and Moroccans. The enemy had withdrawn from Cap Serrat and. correspondents report that they are withdrawing from other places in the northern sector, often leaving behind large quantities of materials.

The latest despatches from Tunisia suggest that a resumption of the Eighth Army’s offensive is imminent. Heavy British batteries on Sunday night shelled Marshal Rommel’s rearguard in the coastal sector at Wadi Akarit and Gen. Montgomery has concentrated powerful tank forces at Oudref, five miles south of Oadi.

The American forces, strongly supported by artillery are making a bigattack on the Gabes-Gafsa road. They are now thirty-eight miles from the Eighth Army. A North African communique states: The Americans continued the attacks yesterday against strong opposition in the El Guettar sector. Enemy counter-attacks in this sector were repulsed and prisoners taken. Further north, on the Ist Army Front, our patrols were again active and there was some artillery activity on both sides, when enemy motor transport and infantry were severely handled.

DIFFICULT COUNTRY

(Recd. 11.30 a.m.) LONDON, April 5. The comparative lull which has descended on the land fronts in Tunisia was broken yc-sterday only by the American Filth Army, which drove back stiff opposition and decreased somewhat its distance, from General Montgomery by the capture of two hills on the El Guettar-Gabes road, enabling an advance south-eastwards. The operation illustrates the difficulty of the terrain over which the Americans are operating between Gafsa and Maknassi and which strongly protects the rear of Rommel’s position in the Wadi Akarit. The countryside consists of a tangle of ravines and gullies between high hills and is ideal for prolonged, defence aided by deep minefields and concealed artillery. Tank attempts to break through are likely to result in uneconomic losses, the only alternative being a series of carefully planned infantry assaults which would “outwinkle” the enemy, enabling a gradual advance. The Germans are defending these strategic heights with crack troops and skilfully emplaced 88 m.m. guns and mortars. These defences dominate cunningly laid - minefields strewing the valley floor, which runs towards the coast road where Rommel is concentrating in an attempt to prevent an Anglo-American junction. Reuter’s correspondent at Allied Headquarters says that the Americans, showing an admirable offensive spirit, overcame a German hill garrison and later repulsed the inevitable counter-attack inflicting heavy casualties and taking prisoners. The Americans are still battling forward in a “hot corner” in the area east of Maknassi where the Germans are equally fiercely resisting, but. there is no confirmation of reports from Berlin that the Americans are attacking and attempting a drive from the Maknassi hills. . . There was chiefly patrol activity m the northern sectors, although according to the Algiers Radio, the First Army “advanced beyond Cap Serrat without meeting serious resistance.” There has been considerable artillery fire on the Medjezelbab front where enemy troops and transport suffered heavily. Better weather enabled an increase in the Allied air activity resulting in many air combats. German commentators predict early large-scale operations asserting General Montgomery is putting down a ring of artillery-fire on the Axis outer defences in the Wadi Akarit and also that he is concentrating tanks further northward. Algiers Radio opening a new German transmission warned the Afrika Korps that there is no escape from the trap in North Africa. “You must choose between death and captivity” declared the Radio.

DUNKIRK” PROSPECT

LONDON, April 5

“It is idle to suggest Marshal Rommel will attempt a ‘Dunkirk’ from Tunisia,” says Mr. J. L. Garvin, writing in the “Sunday Express.” “The Axis intends to put up the longest and bitterest fight possible.” “It is thought in London,” says the “Sunday Express” diplomatic correspondent, “that Hitler might try to rescue the highly trained Afrika Korps from Tunisia, but would probably leave the Italians. It is only a matter of time before we control all of Tunisia, although sporadic fighting may go on there for months after this is achieved.”

AXIS SHIPPING SHORTAGE

LONDON, April 5

A dispatch from the Berlin correspondent of the Swiss newspaper, “Gazette de Lausanne,’ which the German censorship passed, asserts that the Axis to-day is suffering severely in its efforts to supply the North African forces because the best part of Italy’s merchant fleet was confiscated in neutral and enemy ports when Italy entered _ the war. The dispatch adds that British submarines are taking toll of Italian ships in the Mediterranean, but this “would not be serious had Italy not lost a large part of her most modern merchantmen. Admiral Doenitz’s recent visit to Italy can be connected with the Axis efforts to free traffic between Italy and Tunisia from pressure which is not negligible.”

AERIAL OFFENSIVES

RUGBY, April 15

Extensive air operations, yesterday. included bombing enemy airfields by medium and light bombers and fighter-bombers, attacks on enemy vehicles, and many fighter offensive sweeps. B2s’s Mitchells attacked a convoy in the Sicilian Straits and a small vessel off the

south-west coast of Sardinia. In the course of the day’s operations, three enemy machines were destroyed. Five of ours are missing.

D.F.C. FOR N.Z’ER.

WELLINGTON, April 5

The King has approved of the award of the Distinguished Flying Cross to Temporary Sub-Lieutenant R. Harris, R.N.Z.N.V.R., for good service in the landing in North Africa. Sub-Lieutenant Harris’s father is Mr. W. Harris, of Christchurch. ' NAPLES HARBOUR BOMBED

LONDON, April 5

An attack by heavy bombers on the harbour and clock area of Naples is reported in to-day’s North African communique, which says that several ships were hit in the harbour, targets in the dock area were hit, and many aircraft, destroyed on the ground. The 8.8. C. correspondent in North Africa says that nearly’ 100 Flying Fortresses carried out the attack, the first to be made on the mainland of Europe by aircraft from North Africa. The attack was concentrated into a quarter of an hour. Ten ships were hit including two liners, three submarines and a repair ship. Twenty-seven enemy aircraft were hit on an airfield. All the Fortresses returned safely. The Fortresses also attacked shipping at Carloforte on the south-west coast of Sardinia, when a coaster and more small vessels were hit. and several fires started in the dock area. An Italian communique states'that 221 people were killed and 387 injured at Naples. It adds that Allied planes also attacked Syracuse, Palermo, and Carloforte. Considerable damage was done at Naples and Syracuse.

WITH THE NEW ZEALANDERS

GEN. MONTGOMERY’S VISIT

[N.Z.E.F. Official War Correspondent]

GABES. April 2

The Eighth Army Commander, General Montgomery, spent to-day among New Zealand forces in the field. He was accompanied by Gen. Freyberg, and visited various units and addressed officers and n.c.o’s. on the operations which drove the enemy from the Mareth Line. Artillery units were addressed close behind their gun positions, General Montgomery’s remarks being punctuated by the noise of our guns and the screech and burst of enemy shells not far distant. Quick and comfortable evacuation of the wounded from battle was effected by the use of air. ambulances operating from a landing ground constructed by medical personnel close to the main dressing station. Working with pick and shovel, aided by only one bulldozer, men of the medical service in one day made a landing ground half a mile long and. a hundred yards wide. The use of ambulance planes obviated a long rough land journey that would otherwise have been necessary. All stretcher cases were evacuated by this means. The majority went straight to hospital well behind the lines, some through a New Zealand casualty clearing station which has followed close on the heels of the Eighth Army's advance. Serious abdominal cases which could not be moved after the New Zealanders went forward through the gap remained under the care of the medical company, but these have now all been evacuated by plane. Probably never before in this campaign has air transport been used so extensively for' this purpose. Over two hundred wounded prisoners were attended by our medical services, serious cases receiving air evacuation. The landing ground was efficiently operated by members of the field hygiene section. The landing ground received a surprise visit from a Spitfire pilot, who landed with a shrapnel wound in his arm. The back of the pilot’s seat was found on fire. The staff of the evacuation centre quickly extinguished the fire and attended the pilot’s wound. Within a short time the pilot was again in the

ANTI-TANK WEAPON.

LONDON. April 5.

American troops in Britain are confident that their simple but deadly secret weapon, nicknamed “Bazooka” and costing only 10/-, is going to give German panzer crews bad headaches. The bazooka is a rocketlauncher. It consists of a plain metal evlinder and weighs only a few pounds. It can be easily carried. Its missile is so destructive that it can penetrate a tank's armour and make casualties of the crew. The bazooka has been used in North Africa with pronounced success because of the ease with which it is operated.

CONFERENCE WITH SPAIN

RUGBY. April 5. High ranking military leaders of three' United Nations and Spain met in Spanish Morocco, states the United States Army Headquarters in North Africa. Lieutenant-General Clark, Commanding General of the United States Fifth Army, and his chief of staff Major-General Gruenther, journeyed to a town in Spanish Morocco, where Lieutenant-General Orgaz, High Commissioner of Spanish Morocco. was host at a luncheon. Brigadier-General Gomes of Brazil, who has been an official visitor at the Fifth Army Headquarters, and representatives of the Resident General of French Morocco accompanied General Clark.

TURKISH ESTIMATE

LONDON, April 4

“General Salem Oumertak, chief of the Turkish military delegation in Tunisia, predicts that the Allies will win the war,” says the Tunisian correspondent of the Associated Press. “He pointed out that the Allies were much stronger in every way. including armaments and industrial production. General Oumertak added: “From what I have seen Allied morale is excellent and undoubtedly has th<' edge over the Axis. I am extremely well pleased by my tour and much impressed by the Allied war effort.”

GREEK SUBMARINE

RUGBY. April 5. The Greek submarine Papanicolis operating with the Royal Navy in the Mediterranean, sunk two small enemy supply ships. Among the survivors were several. Italian soldiers. Captain C. Alexandria, Naval Attache since 1941 at the Greek Embassy. London, has been appointed to command the Greek Navy.

TRANSPORT CONFERENCE

RUGBY, April 5

A conference at which the motor transport situation in the Middle East will be discussed, will be opened at Cairo on Thursday by Mr. Casey. The conference is being held under the auspices of the Middle East Supply Centre, whose task is to develop and regulate the flow of essential supplies to the civilian community.