ALLIED PINCERS PINCHING ROMMEL

Grey River Argus, 25 March 1943, Page 5

ALLIED PINCERS PINCHING ROMMEL

EIGHTH ARMY’S GAP IN MARETH LINE

AMERICANS & FRENCH NEARER COAST

Enemy Offensives in North Tunisia

LONDON, March 23. The Allied North African communique on Tuesday., stated: The Eighth Army’s attack is still going on, though the enemy is resisting strongly. Yesterday afternoon Marshal Von Rommel’s forces staged a heavy counter-attack, . but were thrown back. Bitter fighting continues.” . , Referring to the communique war correspondents say General Montgomery’s plans are very exact. The battle has developed into a twopronged attack —one along the coast road to Gabes, and the other a wide, outflanking movement Avoikmg round the left flank round the Matamata Hills up through the desert about fifty miles towards El Hamma, which is 20 miles due west of Gabes. British forces attacking along the coast had a very tough job. They had to cross a deep and difficult wadi of Zigzou, which runs northeast from south of Mareth town to the coast. They forced their way across/ against the fiercest opposition. Then they had to fight through a complicated trench system and mop up every machine-gun post, which they did, and now they are approaching a strongly-held ridge of hills and the fighting goes on ferociously. Meanwhile, the other British force, making a great sweep across the ; ,desei*t and outflanking the Germans, at 9.30 a.m., on Sunday attacked enemy positions 15 miles south-west of El Hamma. Stout defence of his positions by the enemy was expected. The left hook of British troops had to force gaps through minefields and antitank ditches, but by 11 o’clock on Monday morning they were only ten miles from El Hamma. • A press correspondent at the Allied Headquarters in Tunisia stated: The weather was the signal for the Eighth Army’s offensive. With sunshine replacing the rain of previous days, General Sir Bernard Montgomery launched his attack on the left flank of the Mareth Line to the right of the road from Medenin to Mareth. As in all previous attacks, the Eighth Army’s commander chose a rather short front —the six miles soft, wet sands separating the little village of Mareth and the seashore, but these six miles had been abundantly sown with mines and all kinds of obstacles. Our troops encountered stern opposition, but managed to reach their objective. During the whole attack perfect co-operation existed between the land forces and the air forces, which ran a shuttle service over the battlefield as they did at El Alamein, operating from dawn to dusk with clockwork regularity. South African Bostons, Baltimores, and Mitchells kept coming over the target, dropping high explosives, while fighter-bombers and fighters followed,, strafing everything in sight. While the fighting on land continues, the air offensive is growing in power- every day.”

EIGHTH ARMY ADVANCE Into and Round Mareth Line ' ENEMY COUNTER ATTACK REPULSED. LONDON, March 23. Correspondents’ dispatches indicate considerable progress by the Eighth Army, stating General Montgomery’s troops have driven a wedge into the Mareth defences and have outflanked the enemy in a great sweep across the desert. Violent fighting took place before the British stormed the fixed defences. To reach the line they had to fight their way across very difficult country. The 8.8. C. correspondent says. The attack developed into a twopronged drive. One thrust is along the coast towards Gabes, and the 5 other a wide outflanking move round the left flank through the desert towards El Hamma, which is due west of Gabes. The forces on the coast had to cross a difficult wadi and then overcome a complex trench system and numerous ma-chine-gun posts. • They are now approaching a ridge of hills, and the fighting is proceeding satisfactorily. The other British forces were on Sunday night attacking positions 15 miles south-east of El Hamma. The troops had to batter gaps through minefields and ditches. Ey 8 a.m. on Monday they were only ten miles from El Hamma. • Algiers radio says: British Hoops are developing two drives. They are attacking through the Matamata Hills from the south-west in a move which has outflanked the Mareth Line. The second thrust is a frontal drive on a six-mile front. By noon on Monday, British troops had reached a point two and a-half miles south-west of Sarat (ten miles northeast of Mareth). / The Columbia (U.S.A.) Broadcasting System correspondent at Algiers says: The British ■ force which .reached the vicinity of El Hamma worked its-way clear around fortified Mareth positions, outflanking the whole line. , El Hamma is 45 miles north-west ■of Mareth—in other words, behind

it 'Gurkhas operating in the Mareth Line, in a night attack on a German outpost, killed many Germans and destroyed two gun posts. Allied Air Suoremacv OUTSTANDING FACTOR. LONDON, March 23. , All correspondents stress the terrific weight of the air blitz the Ge - mans are having to face. one states: The skies are alive . .with bombers and fighters sweeP’ffi? from bases on' both sides of the Mai- ’ eth positions to attack Germa transport, airfields, gun positions, and everything worth attacking not only in the Mareth area itself, but for 60 or 70 miles along the coastal corridor stretching into central iunisia. One important landing ground near Gabes had five heavy raids 24 hours. One result of this nonstop blitz is that the Luftwaffe has not shown its nose over the battlefield. Allied aircraft have also been busy laying a bomb barrage all along the Axis supply lines in tne Mediterranean area. The port 01 Bizerta, Naples and many other-tar-gets in Sicily and southern Italy have been bombed.

The slightness of the enemy air operations in the Mareth area is the subject of comment in London, where it is considered the strength of the direct R.A.F. attacks,— comparable with those in the El Alamein battle, —has a bearing on the situation. At the same time, the R.A.F’s. indirect support to the army by bombing convoys and communications generally must draw off much of the en-

emy’s fighter strength, and cut down his air power in the battle area. An Allied communique states: On Sunday night, enemy concentrations between Mareth and Kettana were bombed, and our bombers also attacked an enemy airfield near Sfax. On Monday, Western Desert Air Force fighters attacked concentrations of enemy tanks and armoured cars south of El Hamma. Thirtytwo tanks were hit and at least nine of them were destroyed. Light bombers attacked enemy positions south of Zarat. A fighter escort destroyed three enemy fighters. Targets in the same area were attacked by fighter-bombers. An enemy airfield at Mezzouna was attacked by formations of medium light bombers, and fires started among aircraft on the ground. During these raids, and in offensive patrols by our fighters, nine enemy aircraft were destroyed. Enemy vehicles were hit during a low level attack by our fighters which continued throughout the day. Other vehicles were destroyed on the northern front by our fighter bombers. A Middle East air communique states: Heavy bombers attacked Naples on the night of March 21. Large fires were observed near the railway depot and oil installations. From these and othei' operations, all our aircraft are safe. The docks at Palermo (Sicily) were heavily bombed in raids, and hits were seen on ships and along the quays. Six enemy fighters were shot down.

Between Sicily and Tunisia, an enemy convoy was attacked by our bombers. A troopship was hit and left on fire. Hits were also seen on a large supply ship and an escort vessel. In combats with enemy air escorts, eight enemy aircraft were destroyed. From these operations, seven of our aircraft are missing. One pilot is known to be safe.

FIRST MARETH LINE. BREACHED BY EIGHTH ARMY. LONDON, March 23. An official statement from Allied Headquarters in Tunisia says: The Eighth Army established a bridgehead through the main enemy position on the coast road above Mareth. The British United Press correspondent at Allied Headquarters says: This means the Eighth Army has breached the first of three main Mareth defence lines. The “Daily Express” interprets the statement as meaning the Mareth Line is breached. It says: The Eighth Army still faces two new lines, built by the Italians and Germans between Mareth and Gabes. The British United Press asserts: “The first Mareth defence line is far the strongest of the three. Reuter reports: After penetrating the Mareth Line, our troops are streaming forward to bring Rommel s main forces to action. s An unconfirmed report received at Madrid from Algiers states that Marshal Von Rommel’s main body is in full retreat north of the Mareth Line. The Morocco radio says Hitler has ordered the troops in Tunisia to fight to the last man. The order was given to Von Arnim and Marshal Von Rommel to stand or die. EIGHTH ARMY ENTERS GAP. UNDER AIR AND SHELL BARRAGE. CR>ec. 7.40.) LONDON, March 23. The “Daily Telegraph’s” correspondent at the Allied Headquarters in North Africa says: It is reported i that General Montgomery is pouring : tanks, guns and infantry into a gap iin the Mareth Line, under cover of I a tremendous artillery and aerial barrage. Our troops forced the gap by thrusting stage by stage across a complicated trench system, which was covered by machine-gun positions. The situation was probably more similar to one in the last war than in any previous engagement in this war. Our infantry advanced doggedly, mopping up enemy artillery and machine-gun posts with hand grenades.” The correspondent continues: “The Mattmata Hills have not. yet been cleared. It may be assumed that bodies of the enemy troops are still concealed in these hills, and that they are in a position to maintain guerrilla activities against the Eighth Army communications on either side of the hills. In breaching the Mareth defence line, _ the British forces took six strong points. They included one battalion headquarters, five company headquarters and at least twenty pillboxes ” Fighting Harder THAN IN EGYPT. (Rec. 7.35.) LONDON, March 23. A report from the Allied Headquarters in North Africa states that in the area of the Mareth Line fighting rages without abatement. It is more intense than was the fighting lin Egypt at the El Alamein line. 1 Italian and ■ German prisoners have have been taken in excess of three ' thousand.

Axis Reports ALLIED ATTACKS NOT SUCCESSFUL. LONDON, March 23. To-day’s German and Italian communiques simply refer to violent fighting in Central and Southern Tunisia. Berlin radio claims that the British and American attacks have so far failed. Berlin radio said: “By 'reason of the considerable superiority of men and material at the disposal of the enemy, an outflanking manoeuvre to the rear of the Mareth Line must be reckoned with.” Rome radio, last night, issued sombre warnings to the Italians of grevious trials ahead. “Our hearts go to our troops in North Africa, who are again facing hard trials. The fortunes of Italy are avain at stake as a grave phase of the war opens. The Russian danger must not overshadow the great threat from Britain and America.” ENEMY’S LACK OF ROOM. (Rec. 8.30.) LONDON, March 22. The Berlin radio declared: “Tonight Marshal Von Rommel again threw tanks into a counter-attack. The operations are being made more difficult because of the enemy’s air superiority and of the steadily narrowing space for manoeuvring.