FRONT STABILISED IN WEST TUNISIA

Grey River Argus, 25 February 1943, Page 5

FRONT STABILISED IN WEST TUNISIA

ENEMY LIKELY TO HAVE TRANSPORT DIFFICULTY

Allied Retreat Affords Better Supply Lines

[Aust. & N.Z. Cable Assn.] LONDON. Feb. 23. The German panzer thrust through the Kasserin Pass m central Tunisia has reached a’ point about four miles south-east of Thala, which is witmn eight miles of the railway linking the important Allied base of Tebessa with Bou Arada. in the north-west. Rain and mud are slowing down the progress of both men and armour. The enemy ha's been able to bring artillerj't through the pass towards Thala. adding to the difficulties of the British armoured forces, which are supported by American infantry. The battle for Thala is being fought in a defile in a plateau across which a road winds from Kasserin. About 40 tanks of Rommel’s Twenty-first Division which opened the advance from Faid pushed on until only loui miles from Thala. German artillery brought up from the Kasserin Pass increased the Allies’ difficulties. There was no room for an Allied withdrawal if Tebessa was to be saved. Latest reports from the Thala area are that fighting, is going on four miles south-east of the town. British armoured units, supported by American artillery are engaged, lhei ground is verj’ muddy. The enemy is showing signs of tiring. The enemy troops are part of the Twentyfirst Armoured Division from Rommel’s army, supported by part oi Arnim’s Tenth Armoured Division In the Thala sector, many Allied troops have practically not slept since February 19. They are soaked with rain, and tired but cheerful. It is now learned that about 40 enemy tanks ■ made the attempt to get to Thala, and not 70 as reported earlier LONDON, Feb. 23. I Later news is that the Axis ad-; vance on the Kasserin-Tebessa road has now been held. A British armoured column supported by American, infantry and artillery commanding | the road met, mauled and halted the • attackers, who are now taking heavier punishment than at any time since February. 1. ‘ An Allied North Africa communique states: Heavy fighting continued throughout the day in the area north and north-west of Kasserin. The enemy made several attacks, with infantry and tanks. British u.nd American tanks units successfully held the enemy at all points, inflicting heavy casualtiies and taking prisoners. In the past few days fighting ia considerable number oi enemy' tanks have been certainly destroyed and many others damaged. Our aircraft made many; attacks on enemv forces in this area. One JU hi was shot down by fighters. Ln all sectors our patrols have been active, and successfully repulsed the enemy wherever encountered. and have taken prisoners at several places. British and American troops are now consolidating their positions outside Thala which is the gateway to Tebessa. Americans held up a second German thrust which followed their double-pronged thrust on Sunday The Germans sent m4O tanks on Monday. These were stopped <‘cold” opposite Jebelhamra which is a ridge running across the valley hallway between the Pass and Tebessa. American artillery and light bom> ers destroyed tanks and other vehicles, forcing the German 1 element to the Pass with heavy enemy 10S Reuter’s Algiers correspondent says: The enemy, is now held for the first time since he began the push in southern Tunisia with the capture of Faid Pass-on February L It is felt here that the position is better than for some days but that hard fighting is still ahead. AU ed success came after heavy fight g which lasted since Friday wheri the Germans began a 30-hour bombardment resulting in the retirement ot the Americans from the Kasserin Pass The Allies have since put up strong resistance. Light batteries tackled the formidable German liger tanks at almost point-blank range as thev swung around the winding mountain roads. German artillery nnunded the positions which the Allies & not had time to prepare fully, but the Axis forces to yesterday afternoon had not advanced an inch and have taken heavy punishment. Fourteen enemy tanks have been destroyed since Friday and many others have been damaged while the enemy has suffered heavy casualties apart from prisoners. The German Mark Six tank Tiger,” being used in Tunisia’, has an bo millimetre gun weighing about W tons. A single round of ammunition, about three feet long, weight thirtyr three lbs. There are also two 7D2 millimetre machine-guns The complete tank weighs 55 to 60 tons The front shield is four inches thick and the sides are protected by plates 3., inches thick.

British Counter-attacks ENEMY ADVANCE STOPPED (Rec. 12.25) LONDON, Feb. 24 Allied staff officers estimate that the Germans have used two hundred and twenty tanks in the Central Tunisian push, and that this is almost all of their armour in Noitn Africa. , rr, ■ ■ The “Daily Mail’s” Tunisian correspondent says: The battle is still, progressing, but in the past 24 hours the Germans have not gained an inch of new ground. A report received at Stockholm!, from Berlin, admits! ,that British reinforcements effectively intervened in the Central Tunisian battle and stopped the Axis offensive. The Axis forces vigorously resisted strong British counter-attacks. On Monday the Germans made three attacks. The main one was towards Thala on Le Kaf road. Thala is flanked by hills three thousand ■feet high, and bv no means an easy place to take. But if the Germans did get through, they would be on the broad plains again. The second attack was along the Tebessa' road. It made some progress but was checked in the afternoon. When the enemy was bombed from the air, they withdrew and in the process lost a number of tanks and vehicles. The third German attack was further south, three mlies east, of Robaa, where a strong patrol was repulsed with loss. In all sectors on this front, our patrols are active, and ' have driven the enemy back wherever met. Prisoners were taken, and a considerable number of enemy tanks were destroyed in the last few days, and many damaged. On the Ousseltia Pudge, a German •patrol attacked a British position three miles east of Robaa. The enemv were beaten , off with heavy casualties. This may have been the prelude to an Axis attempt to move ■forces southward from Pont du Fahs in order to link up behind Ousseltia with the German forces now trying to reach Thala and Sb’ba. The latest •reports say it is thought that the defenders have the situation under con-

trol. All the indications are that the Allies intend to hold on following their heavy defeat of the German panzers. A French North Africa communique states: French forces in the Valiev Oued El Khebir raided an enemy outpost and took 15 prisoners. Losses have been inflicted on the enemy. in the increased French patrol activity, east of Sbiba'. The Germans on Monday were reported to be concentrating tanks in strength south of Sbiba, where a British Guards unit was in the line defending the town, which, like Thala, commands a defile leading to a plain across which runs the Tebes-sa-Bouara'de railway, which is a vital supply line for the First Army. Churchill tanks here went into action for the first time- in this theatre. Germans put in heavy attacks in the area north-west of Kasserin yesterday, throwing in tanks and infantry, ‘but British and American units "not only held them, but hit back hard inflicting heavy casualties and taking prisoners. The Allied men were strongly supported by aircraft bombing and machine-gunning at a low level on concentrations of enemv tanks and. vehicles. In twenty separate attacks, Allied aircraft ‘helped to check the columns of reinforcements going towards end through the Kasserin Gap. Douglas bombers destroyed six tanks and ten lorries, and a large force of Lightnings strafed a column attempting to pass the gap, while Airacobras at; tacked troops in the same area. Bri tish armoured units are using Churchill tanks. , . The British United Press Algiers correspondent reports intense Allied air activity to-day over the Thala area. Veteran pilots stated that there were the greatest number of planes they had ever seen in action. Bostons attacked from very low levels, causing German tanks to turn on their machine-guns in an effort to protect themselves. A torpedo aircraft from Malta put four torpedoes into a large Axis tanker carrying three million gallons oi petrol off Levanzo Island, off the west coast of Sicily. Two attacks were made on the tanker. There was a tremendous explosion, and the ship was wreathed in flames as three torpedoes struck her. Then a fourth torpedo hit her,, and by midnight she had broken up. The “Daily Telegraph’s” correspondent, Christopher Buckley, in a long report from the Tunisian front, expresses the opinion that the posilion at Thala is graver than the push towards Tebessa', with a potential threat of endangering the Allies’ whole position in this sector. He regards the capture of Kasserin Pass as an achievement of considerable military importance, and that while it need not be regarded with excessive pessimism, it undoubtedly opens up further possibilities for an offensivo. i Mr. Buckley continues: “It must be' remembered always that all enemy operations here are strategically more in the- nature of a delaying action, aiming at postponing as long as possible the final expulsion of the Axis forces from Africa. The indefinite holding of the Tunisian bridgehead against forces which we shall be able to deploy, from both ends (Tunis and Tripoli) in increasins; numbers, is not a practicable proposition. Making all allowances for the offensive spirit which has always characterised the German High Command, also for the rate of Axis reinforcement, things will have to g° very badly for us in the field before the' enemy can undertake a major enveloping movement. Has anything vital been lost thus far? Ido not think so. The loss of ground is not really significant. While it would be more 'satisfactory to have been able to hold the positions. a retreat m this sector is far less important than >t wound he on ihe bills m the immediate ne’ghbourhood of Tunis or B’zerta. In the long run, Axis gains can be retained only so long as the Eighth Army is south of Gabes. Let it once pass the Gabes o-r<D and ; t is inevitable the Germans must pull right back from the area thev have now won. Of more importance is the loss of the Thelepte airfield. Already we have too few landing grounds in the forward area. The transfer of one of our few good forward landing grounds to enemy hands is not going to simplify AirMarshal Tedder’s task. In short, our task of clearing the enemy from Tunisia has been lengthened to some extent, mnd complicated by the de? velopments of the past week. At present there is no need to take a more pessimistic view.

Battle of Supply Now ENEMY ROADS POOR (Rec. 10.20 ) NEW YORK. Feb. 23. The “New York Times’s” Washington correspondent, Mr. Charles Hurd,, says: In Western Tunisia the fight, which lately has been reported to have been stabilised, now promises to become a battle of supply and transport. News despatches from the Command Headquarters in Tunisia, and also Washington Intelligence, indicate that our forces before Tebessa have mustered sufficient force to hold the Germans, if not to push| them back. The Germans now hold territory which may be an embarrassment for them, as it was for our forces. Some supplies can reach the enemy lines over the railway from Sousse. But when they pushed westward from Sidibousid and from Pichon, twenty-five miles west of Kajrouan, the Germans left in their rear only highways which can be classed as main roads. This means that transport to the combat_J_ines,_ now up to thirty or forty miles, must be carried on mountain roads which are little better than trails. Thus the Germans depend on the same inadequate roads as those which were a large factor in the initial defeat, of our forces. The Allies by falling back have approached better transportation facilities, including Tebessa, which is the terminal of two railways. and also reasonably good roads. The enemy’s determination to contest Tunisia obstinately is well understood in London. The “Manchester Guardian” points to the danger that by the time the Allies land in Europe-, the Germans may have found a shorter defensible line, so that however tenacious the Russian campaign, they will be able to accumulate formidable forces to confront the Allies. “The Times” comments: The enemy is . constrained to divert a very substantial part of his now dwindling strength to the defence of the African positions, in the- hope of delaying the complete investment of Europe until i late in the campaigning season, i In London the reaction to the Tunisian events have been surprise and | reserve. The official attitude has ali wayjs been one of confidence-, with the

indication that not much could be done before March, and an improvement in the weather. Even last week, after initial German advances, this remained the official view, with the assurance that powerful' forces were being drawn up by both the First and Eighth Armies, and once the- Allies can make full use of aerodromes, things would be made lively for the Germans. Now, the word “concern” ha's crept into the commentaries, but little official information is forthcoming, it being stated that most of the news is coming from war correspondents. TANGIER TELEGRAPH OFFICE. WAS SPANISH ACTION MISREPRESENTED. “LONDON. Feb. 23. It is pointed out in London that a Berlin radio report that the Spanish have taken over the French telegraph office at Tangier is possibly deliberate exaggeration. When the Allies landed in North Africa the Spaniards instantly placed censors in the telegraph office a step which was a continuation of a policy extending Spanish control in the Tangier area, chiefly at the French expense. The British Government has not given more than de facto recognition to the increased Spanish control. The British and American Governments’ interests at Tangier have- so far not been affected. It is not true that the entire cable service between Casablanca, Algiers, London and New York is operated through Tangier and the cable position is not affected.