FIRST ARMY’S EASTWARD DRIVE

Grey River Argus, 3 April 1943, Page 5

FIRST ARMY’S EASTWARD DRIVE

GERMAN COUNTER-ATTACKS

Slight Withdrawals Forced

[Aust. & N.Z. Cable Assn 1 (Rec. 1.0) LONDON, April 2. The First Army’s drive eastward from Sedjenane along the main Maret'h Road is now meeting with increasing enemy opposition. rne Germans counter-attacked several times, forcing us to withdraw slightly at one point. According to the Vichy radio, violent fighting was progressing all day yesterday in the region of Djeb el Abiod. The British and Americans were attacking fiercely, supported by a special formation of mountain troops which the Berlin radio says are Canadians. FIRST AND EIGHTH ARMIES MEET. (Rec. 1.5.) LONDON, April 2. The British United Press says that American infantrv smashed through the Bimrabott Pass fourteen miles eastward of El Guettar to join the Eight Army forces moving westward along the Gabes-Gafsa Road. The British United Press correspondent at Gabes says that hugs and kisses greeted members of the Eighth Army as they marched into Gabes.

Enthusiastic Welcome

EIGHTH ARMY ENTERS GABES. TROOPS GO SWIMMING (Rec. 1.0.) LONDON, April 2. Tanks, bren-carriers and lorries reached the town’s beaches in the afternoon and tired, dusty troops were soon swimming in the -Mediterranean with young girls from the town who welcomed them. Bth ARMY IN: OPEN COUNTRY. LONDON, April If The Bth Army is now in open country. Great havoc has been caused among German tanks and heavy transport by Allied “tankbusting” aircraft. American forces closing in from El Guettar have been hampered "by enemy minefields. They were last reported between 40 and 50 miles from the Sth Army. Further south some mopping up has still to be done east of the Shott ef Jerid. where French forces are ’active. In northern Tunisia the British Ist Army has moved up a little from Sedjenane. To-day’s North African communique says: ‘Tn the southern sector our patrols pushed forward and gained contact with prepared enemy positions north of Oudref. In the Gafsa sector the Allied forces continued their attacks and made progress. Our armour was engaged, and the advance was hindered by minefields. In the north.the British forces, have now advanced beyond Sedjenane and are making good progress They have captured much material.” “Yesterdav a force of nearly 100 heavy bombers attacked the harbour of Cagliari, in Sardinia, and enemy airfields in Sardinia. Several ships were hit in the harbour, and many enemy aircraft were hit on the ground. Fourteen enemy fighters were shot down by our fighters. Other aircraft attacked an enemy convoy, sinking one ship. In Tunisia air attacks were made on . Tuesday night on communications behind the enemy’s lines, and on an airfield near Sfax. In the central sector light bombers and fighter bombers attacked enemy troops and vehicles. Fighters were active in all parts of the front during the day, destroying many vehicles. In the day’s operations 21 Axis aircraft were destroyed and the Allies lost 12.”

Germans in Gabes “SHAMELESS BARBARITY” DESCRIBED. '(Rec. 11.50.) LONDON, April 2. The first despatch from Gabes after the British entry says that the Germans behaved towards the townsfolk with the same shameless barbarity often displayed in. Eastern Europe but never before in Africa. A special despatch to the London “Times” says: Gabes was a dainty colonial town. It is now in ruins, and as much was done by th e Germans towards its destruction as Allied bombardments. The Germans stripped shops and houses of all doors, windows, and furniture for cooking food. They burst into bedrooms at all hours of Jthe day and night, apparently for the sole reason of terrifying the womenfolk, and giving vent to their hatred of the French. Just before leaving the town the Germans swooped on the banks, and under the pretext of seizing all Jewish holdings took almost all currency from the Jews. They seized stocks of all sorts, including women’s jewellery and cash. The town was twice attacked from the air by night o n March 26, firstly by the R.A.F., but. everybody agrees, secondly by the Germans themselves. That was the town’s last bombardment before the British entered Gabes. Final Battle Near BULK OF ENEMY CONFRONTED. LONDON, April 1. The Eighth Army are drawn up six miles north of Oudref before Rommel’s latest defences in the Gabes Gap, where it is believed they confront the bulk of the force which, originally garrisoned the Mareth Line. The British are preparing for what may prove to be the final battle of "the Gabes Gap. They are prodding the German defences, which have been hurriedly constructed. Algiers radio said th e retreat of the Afrika Korps between Gabes and Sfax is being carried out under murderous conditions. Allied air units are most powerfully supporting the ground troop. , Despatches from many correspondents emphasise the terrific sustained aerial assault which is causing havoc among Rommel’s tanks and transports. The wedge separating the American Fifth Army advancing along the El Guettar road from the Eighth- Armv is narrowing, although the American armoured advance is being delayed by mines, behind which' the Axis rearguards are withdrawing. Morocco radio reported that Axis units north of Shotteljerid, in the Djebel Asker area, have been cut off. The British First Army is exploiting its success in the northern coastal belt and is now seven miles eatward of Sedjenane, striking via the main road towards Mateur after capturing 800 prisoners.

INCREASING OPPOSITION FROM ENEMY

ASSAULT ON NEW POSITION. LONDON, April 1. General Montgomery has strongly attacked Rommel’s new position along the Wadi Akarit, 17 miles north of Gabes, says the “Telegraph’s” 'correspondent at Allied Headquarters. The Berlin radio stated that the onslaught began yesterday when tanks at one point broke through to the German rear, but the breach was sealed off. Fresh Troops by Air LONDON, April 1. The Associated Press correspondent with the Fifth Army says the Axis in an effort to stave off an eclipse, are bringing fresh troops by air to Tunisia. This was disclosed after the capture oft several hundred. Italians b v the American push along the Gabes road from El Guettar, bringino- them within 40 miles of the Eighth Army. Some prisoners including engineers and a colonel, had been in Tunisia only ten days. This American thrust forms the claw ol th e Allied pincers enclosing the vast pocket containing Axis rearguards, which fought desperately. Nevertheless, American tanks yesterday afternoon, despite heavy bombardment from Germaq eighty-eights, smashed a way past the Kebili-Gabes road junction, the possession of which solidified American control of the area.

'UNION WITH VON ARNIM ? BULK OF ROMMEL’S FORCES INTACT. LONDON, April 1. At a Press conference in Washington Mr Stimson said that Rommel apparently retained the bulk ol his forces intact and that- there was a strong chance that he would effect a union with Von Arnim which would give the Axis a strong army in good defensive positions. There would probably be a great deal of heavy fighting before the final phase. SMALL CRAFT IN ITALY. LONDON, April 1. Reuter’s correspondents in Geneva says that fishing boats, tugs and other small craft are being requisitioned in many Italian harbours, herded into convoys and sent to Sicily. It is believed that they are intended for the evacuation of troops from Tunisia to Sicily. The owners of the boats are given small compensation and are told that the vessels are unlikely to be returned. MANY ITALIANS TAKEN. LONDON, April 1. Wholesale captures of Italians are reported. ‘Reuter’s correspondent With the First Army says that so many shell-drunk Italians surrendered, when the British artillery plastered Sedjenane, that the French sent an urgent message to the gunners to cease fire. T'he British fired over 8,000 shells in an hour against Sedjenane, which was an important factor in the fall of the position. The capture of Sedjenane came as a climax to no fewer than eight bayonet charges by men of an English county regiment, whose Commanding Officer led the last charge. The British United Press describes how two British orderlies captured an Italian company at Sedjenane. They were conducting 12 Italians to the British lines when a column of Italians appeared, momentarily nonplussing the lonely Britons, until an Italian officer raised the white flag, and the column fell in behind the other prisoners.

AIR FORCES COLLABORATE. RUGBY, April 1. Yesterday was really a great day for the Allied Air Forces, says a correspondent in North Africa. In the course of the day, no fewer than 31 enemy aircraft were destroyed for the loss of twelve of ours. The Air Forces again . collaborated unceasingly with the Armies, bombing and strafing enemy troops, destroying vehicles, and making the way tor the Eighth Army’s advance north of Oudref. The Germans have hastily organised a line of fortified positions with which our forces are in contact. Rommel evidently intends to slow up as much as possible the advance from the south to co-ordin-ate his movement with the defensive operations further north and make an effective junction with the forces defending his western flank. This would enable him to preserve an important force with which to reacii the Bizerta-Tunis bridgehead. In the Sedjenane area we made, good progress since the capture or. the village on Tuesday. Fighting was fierce, and one battalion of infantry made eight bayonet charges, the last of which was led by the commanding officer.

HEAVY ATTACK ON SARDINIA. RUGBY, April 1. Nearly a hundred Flying Fortresses, the largest force of the great American heavy! bombers ever engaged in a single mission m any theatre of the war, struck a devastating blow at Sardinia yesterday. They were escorted by Lightnings, and although this was the largest raid of the entire North African campaign, ■all our planes, including the fighter escort, returned safely. Ihe fortresses reached the targets—three important aerodromes and the harbour of Cagliari —at mid-day, and unloaded thousands of bombs. In Cagliari Harbour, five merchantmen were hit directly, two were set on fire, and one coa'ster and one small vessel were also hit. Nineteen smaller vessels received damage. Tne industrial quarter and coal stores were bombed and quayside warehouses hit many times. The passenger railway received a cluster of bombs and the repair shops, fuel and pumping stations were also hit. On one aerodrome, forty-four out of a total or 115 aircraft, were damaged and several buildings were set on fire_. At another aerodrome twelve aircraft out of 44 were destroyed. One of these aerodromes was later raided by Wellingtons, which also launched a devastating load o’f bombs, and left fires. , . Captain Harold Balfour^, speaking at Cairo, said that this whs a great day for the R.A.F., which was never stronger, and never better equipped and never better in heart. A new technique had been forged in the Middle East of inter-services’ cooperation in the field, which might well be adopted in other theatres of war.

Who Pushed Germans Out of Mareth ?

N.Z. OR highland troops. (Aust. & N.Z. Cable Assn.l (Rec. 1.30.) LONDON', April 2. Whether the'forces from Mareth or from El Hamma came first, will be long disputed by the Highlanders and New Zealanders.'The fact established is that the Germans made a neat escape from Mareth and avoided being caught between the two, but went in such a hurry that the road was very little mined. The troops from Mareth speak .of the extraordinary strength of the German fortifications there, saying that long resistance would have been possible even with a few troops, if there had been no means of outflanking the position. El Hamma Movem MAJOR SKINNER DESCRIBES PREPARATIONS. (Rec. 5.5.) LONDON, April 1. Major C. F. Skinner, in an interview with the Australian Associated Press, said that he was most impressed with the care with which the El Hamma encircling movement was prepared. Major Skinner said that the reconnaissance had been most thorough—bulldozers leveling out the rough roads for weeks and ’planes keeping the air practically clear of the enemy. There was a wonderful feeling of confidence among all ranks of the both in their leaders and their Weapons. “Its equipment is chiefly British,” he said, "but it includes some American and is now better than ever. Marshal Von Rommel hasn’t a chance against our artillerymen. ~ The New Zealanders are very proud to have with them as brothers-in-arms, the famous Highland Fifty-first Division.”

Major Skinner, who is visiting Britain under the auspices of the Ministry of Information, has already had talks at the War Office on field engineering problems, and has been invited to attend future conferences when such problems are being discussed. He is delivering a number of lectures' throughout the country on New Zealand’s war effort and other aspects of New' Zealand: life. Major Skinner, who expects to be in Britain for four months, said he was looking forward to returning to New Zealand to take up his new job.

U.S. TANKS IN BATTLE.

RUGBY, April 1

News of the armoured attacks launched on Tuesday by the Americans along the Gafsat Gabbs Road, is told by a correspondent with the Allied Forces at Gafsa. He says: The Americans deployed through El Guettar Valley, despite extensive enemy minefields. A large number of Sherman tanks took part. Thev followed the infantry who had succeeded in capturing the heights commanding the valley. When the Shermans closed in for attack, they were met by a heavy concentrated fire from many- eighty-eight millimetre anti-tank guns concealed in the foothills at the end of the vallev, but the tanks reached the important junction road from Kebili before darkness. Late on Tuesday evening, the enemy was reported bringing tanks from Arbour, further east, to meet this new thrust at his flank. The correspondent gives a detailed description on the ensuing tank battles on the floor of the valley, in which he saw only one American tank hit. and eventually the Shermans moved forward again. During this advance, enemy aircraft made a few appearances over the valley, but were ineffectual. Allied aircraft on the contrary, were extremely busy, bombing ahd strafing columns of enemy tanks and lorries moving through the hills and valleys, both north and south of this important road junction. I, CANADIANS IN FIGHTING. LONDON, April 1. The Berlin radio mentions the &P--pearance of Canadians in the North African fighting, declaring that a fresh Canadian . mountain battalion was unable to improve the position. A Reuter’s correspondent with the First Armv says: The Germans’ withdrawal was so hasty they abandoned quantities of equipment and ammunition. The British found the telephone lines “alive” at one battalion headquarters, also many undestroyed documents. Other First Armv troops are advancing more slowly, via scrubbv hills north-east of Sedienane, but the German resistance is slight. A French communique announces various advances, including the occupation of Kebili, while vanguards uro within some miles O-t Pichon. Moroccan troops, co-operat-ing with the British, further advanced north of Sedjenane.

FRENCH TROOPS ACTION

RUGBY, April 1. French troops operating north and south of Shott El Jerid cleared the road running north across Shott from Kebili. Those ..advancing through Tozeur and Metlaoui, last month, compelled the Italian garrisons to evacuate Kebili Cross Shott, and meanwhile fight hard to keep open the road Finally, the camel troops com ? ing north from Douz, entered Kebili two days ago, driving out the Italian rearguard. In South Tunisia, yesterday, light bombers attacked Mezzouna, where at one tim e fifty fires were burning in one mile of road. The desert airforce light bombers, which up to now have been sharing the task of the troops on the battlefield, returned to the old job yesterday, when they attacked the, aerodrome at El Maou near Sfax, and left several fires, including five enemv aircraft ablaze. MR. JONES |IN MIDDLE EAST. 2000-MILE' tour ended. CAIRO, April 1. The New Zealand Minister of Defence (Mr. Jones) had an audience with King Farouk on his return to Cairo from a 2000-miles tour of the Middle East yesterday. He also visited New Zealanders at Alexandria where he met 50 New Zealand naval personnel and one Wren, Margaret Chorlton, of Wellington. In -Cairo he met and talked with New Zea-| landers serving with the Air Force. The extent the N.Z.E.F. covers m the Middle East was emphasised by the distances covered by Mr. Jones. During his tour he found New Zealanders from Tripoli, Syria, and North Africa. He visited Palestine, and Lebanon and flew from Cairo to Beirut where he was met by Lieutenant Colonel R. T. Smith (formerly District Public Works Enigneer at Greymouth), Commanding the New Zealand Railway Construction Group. He travelled through the snow-covered- Lebanon Mountains to see New Zealand railway engineers supervising gangs of Lebanese labourers. He addressed groups of New Zealanders assembled specially, to meet him. He saw many detachments on their jobs, and on the anniversary of the death of Mr, Savage he addressed a large group of railway surveyors beneath the historic Biblos Castle fortress temple. On the next day he addressed a parade of railwaymen in Northern Palestine and was entertained along

with many New Zealand officers by Mr. Norman Nairn, of Transport fame, at the Normandy Hotel, Beirut. Mr. Jones motored south into Palestine, still visiting odd groups oi New Zealanders and officer cadets m the Middle. East. On the journey to Cairo he stayed a night at Jerusalem. Despite the tiring journey, Mr. Jones is continuing his visits. To-day he saw New Zealand Engineers working in the famous Tura Caves, from which the stone for the Pyramids was obtained. . He is visiting war graves to-morrow. Mr. Jones’s visit to the Middle East is very timely as nearly, two years have elapsed since any sort of political contact has been established between New Zealand and her troops in the Middle East. The isolation of- New Zealanders from the flux ot domestic change is perhaps not realised at home. News at best is Fathered from letters and news stories in the “N.Z.E.F. Times.” and a half-hour New Zealand broadcast from Cairo every, Thursday evening. Regarding location of Americans and Kiwis a base relief map in mud at Kantara shows a star-spangled banner in the centre of the North Island, where Lake Taupo ought to be. Mr. Jones saw that now. This distant colony of New Zealanders living more or less by itself for three years is dimly conscious of the social changes in the Homeland and has been sufficiently, stirred by Mr. Jones’s visit to realise that the election due in New Zealand is not yet past. Mr. Jones has not had a chance of visiting the Division, but he has made a practice of meeting individually as many men as possible to discuss their problems,