LINES BREACHED

Gisborne Herald, Volume LXX, Issue 21009, 4 February 1943, Page 3

LINES BREACHED

AXIS IN TUNISIA HEAVY ALLIED PUSH NEW THREAT TO ROMMEL (By Telegraph—Press Assn. —Copyright.) (11 a.m.) LONDON, Feb. 3. The German News Agency announced that strong Allied forces had broken into the Axis positions in the central sector of the Tunisian front. German artillery had been posted on both sides of Faid Pass, while the Allies for some days had been countering with air bombardments. French headquarters report that the enemy has not renewed his attacks in the Faid area after his recent losses.

Agency reports state that a British counter-attack wiped out a slight German advance in the north. A North Africa communique states: “Our attack on Faid on Monday was unsuccessful. Otherwise there is no change on the Tunisian front. Our bombers attacked aerodromes at Sfax, starting large fires and destroying enemy aircraft on the ground. In the day’s' operations 12 enemy aircraft were destroyed. Thirteen of our planes are missing. Two enemy bombers were destroyed on Monday night.” Reuter’s correspondent in North Africa says that the real threat to the German communications is that developing in the south, where the American forces are thrusting southwards down the railway from Gafsa to the coast, setting the Axis commanders a real problem. Meanwhile, according to the Algiers radio, the Eighth Army’s advanced forces are patrolling between Bengal - - dane and the Matmata hills, which lie at the western end of the Mareth Line, between the coastal plain and Shutteljerid. The British United Press correspondent in Tunisia says that General Rommel has established his headquarters at Gabes and is directing the withdrawal from behind the Mareth Line.

To-day’s Middle East communique states: “Our troops in the coastal sector yesterday ocupied Zleten and were in contact with the enemy withdrawing towards Pisida. Air attacks on small enemy shipping off the Tunisian coast continued. One German bomber was destroyed over a Sicilian aerodrome the previous night. We suffered no losses from the above operations.” Zleten is about eight miles inland and 12 miles south-westward of Pisida, which is on the coast 12 miles eastward of the Tunisian border.