ALLIED FORCES

Grey River Argus, 25 November 1942, Page 5

ALLIED FORCES

ENEMY RAIDS ALGIERS Malta Planes Attack Reinforcements [Aust / & N.Z. Cable Assn.] LONDON, Nov. 23. The Morocco radio quoting an Allied spokesman, said that fighting in Tunisia was becoming more and more violent. No major engagement has yet been officially reported in Tunisia. Clashes between Allied and Axis forces increased in scale during the week-end. An Algiers report said Allied forces were nearing Mateur, south of Bizerta. British forward troops inflicted damage on an enemy column. Two enemy attacks were beaten off by French troops which refused to obey Vichy orders. French patrols are reported to be operating far in thp rear of the Axis positions. British and United States troops, after a rapid advance are attacking enemy positions 40 miles south-west of Tunis.

Enemy patrols were driven from the Gafsa Oasis by Allied forces Morocco (Allied) radio quotes a statement from French General Headquarters in North Africa that enemy infiltration has developed along the front from Gafsa to Kalrouan.

Morocco radio also states that German forces are well established, particularly in Bizerta and Tunis, and possess a strong air force. Allied forces, operating twenty-two miles south of the Tunisian coast, were atacked by German land forces but the engagement was indecisive. A military spokesman broadcasting over the Berlin radio indicated that Rommel has taken over the command of the Axis forces in Tunisia. He said that with Tunisia, Rommel had exchanged a useless strip of desert for a battle zone more akin to European conditions. Rommel’s Afrika Korps had taken up positions prepared beforehand. A Cairo communique stated: Allied medium bombers attacked Bizerla on Saturday, hits being scored on hangars and buildings, causing two fires. An aerodrome in Sicily was attacked by twin-engined aircraft which strafed enemy machines on the ground. Yesterday, two other enemy aerodromes were attacked. Enemy transport aircraft were attacked in the Mediterranean by longrange fighters, at least six of them being, shot down into the sea. Allied losses were on aircraft.

Allied Forces ADVANCE WEST OF TUNIS. (Rec. 1.10.) LONDON, Nov. 23. The Morocco radio said: _ British and American forces continue to move up west of Tunis. The Gafsa area remains in French hands ATTACKED FROM .MALTA. AXIS REINFORCEMENT PLANES. (Rec. 7.50) LONDOiy Nov. 23. ‘ Fighting Malta” is playing a great part in helping to smash the Axis reinforcements that are going to Tunisia. Bombers and fighters from Malta are- attacking the enem/s vital Mr transport service from Sicily to North Africa, at both ends and in the middle. They also daily and nightly bomb aerodromes from which airborne troops start off, also shoot down carriers during flight over the Mediterranean, and bomb Axis air bases in Tunisia. Axis Reinforcements LANDING IN TUNISIA. (Rec. 9.10) LONDON, Nov. 23. The Paris radio claims that important German and Italian reinforcements are still arriving m Tunis and Bizerta. It states that other Axis forces have been landed at Sfax and Quabes. FRENCH REPEL ITALIANS. (Rec. 9.10) LONDON, Nov. 23. The Morocco (Allied) radio reports; A French column encountered Italian forces in the- region south of Tunis It forces them to retreat.

AXIS BOMBERS.

AGAIN ATTACK ALGIERS,

(Rec. 1,10.) LONDON ,Nc& 23. The Morocco radio said: Algiers has again been bombed. Some damage has resulted. Several of the Axis ’planes wete shot down. SEIZURE OF ALGIERS FOUR N.Z. PILOTS ASSIST "ALGIERS, Nov. 23. Four New Zealanders, members of the Fleet Air Arm, have described their part in the seizure of Algieis as “a routine exercise in which we were not called on to fire a shot,” but they had a share of excitement later when their aircraft-carrier was divebomber. They are Sub-Lieutenants Lloyd Johnson (Christchurch), Jack Blacker (Auckland), Donald Cameron (Wellington) and J. Hale (Wellington). Hale, who is 22 years of a<m is the quartet’s “father.” Their carrier was briefed to give fighter covering from the landings. Johnson said: “For several days w e took off and natrolled coastline aerodromes but did not sight a single air-borne aircraft. Only four of our chaps got ashore, because it was too dark for them to land on the flight deck. There was more than one alert, but apart from gunfire from escorting destroyers nothing- happened until the third night off Algiers. Then just as dusk was giving away to night 15 Junkers 88’s were sighted. We prepared for high-level bombing, but they peeled off and came down ‘hell for leather’ from astern. Waves throwm up by near misses flooded the flight deck, but the ‘old man’ was throwing the carrier about like a destroyer, and when the Nazis roared off and the clouds of spray and smoke dispersed we were little the worse for w'ear.” The four New Zealanders were able to make up for their lack of action over Africa b" manning a Vickers gun and loosing off at the divebombers, although they admitted that their efforts were more energetic than accurate. Johnson is sporting a scar on tne nose, and questioned, admitted it was the result of a slight mishap. During landing practice, his fighter “jumped a bit” and finished up on the edge of the flight deck and then slowly toppled into tne sea. Blacker remarked: You never saw a chap scramble out of a plane faster than he did. We fished him out, and the doctor welcomed him with open arms. That’s the result—the neatest patched nose you could find anywhere!