ALLIED SUCCESS AT KAIROUAN

Gisborne Herald, Volume LXX, Issue 21067, 12 April 1943, Page 3

ALLIED SUCCESS AT KAIROUAN

ROMMEL IN FLIGHT TO NORTH OF SOUSSE ENEMY LOSES 58 PLANES IN ONE DAY (By Telegraph—Press Association.—Copyright.) (1 : 1a.m.) LONDON, April H. The irresistible Eighth Army is now streaming northwards from Sfax in relentless pursuit of General Rommel’s routed forces. To-day’s communique indicates that the sweep continues speedily and successfully. It is unlikely that any large part ol General Rommel’s forces was cut off, but a considerable bag of prisoners will probably be swept up. The latest reports indicate that the British First Army has broken through in the region of Kairouan and is pushing on towards the coast north of Sousse. In the meantime, the Eighth Army is reported to be nearly 30 miles north of Sfax and continuing to advance rapidly. These reports suggest that the First and Eighth Armies have.now linked up, with the possibility of substantial Axis forces being cut oif to the southwest. General Rommel appears to be making with all speed for the hilly area north of Sousse. The British progress in the recent stages has been exceptionally fast, The Eighth Army, after storming the Wadi Akarit, covered the 72' miles to Sfax in foul l days. They advanced the 22 miles from Mahares to Sfax in under 19 hours, which is attributed to the fact that the German retreat was so precipitate that they were unable ,to. carry out the customary laying of a profusion of minefields and also the flat coastal plain enabling the British to exploit mechanised mobility. Other outstanding features of to-day’s reports from Tunisia are the destruction of 58 enemy planes, 41 of them in - combats over the Sicilian Channel, these including 30 large transports, and a successful raid by Flying Fortresses on La . Maddelena, in Sardinia, in the course of which two Italian cruisers received direct hits. According to the Algiers radio, since March 20 nearly 20,000 Axis prisoners have been taken. Some belong to the German 19th Light Division. There are also many Italians. During the same period 302 Axis planes have been shot down, compared with 110 of ours. The report announces the capture of the Italian General Manerini, and also the desert group headquarters. General Manerini was formerly commander.in-chief of the Sahara command.