Death Trail of Beaten Afrika Korps

Manawatu Times, Volume 68, Issue 59, 11 March 1943, Page 5

Death Trail of Beaten Afrika Korps

Great L®ss of Men, Tanks and Guns (By Telegraph—Press Assn.—Copyright.) Received Thursday, 12.25 a.m. LONDON, Mar. 10. British armoured patrols last night harried the Afrika Korps retreating into the inner zone of the Mareth Line, reports the Daily Telegraph’s Tunisian correspondent. Rommel lost many more tanks than the 50 abandoned at the week-end. The R.A.F. for four days have been continually attacking on a scale reminiscent of El Alamein. The wake of the Afrika Korps is strewn with dead infantry and wrecked tanks, guns and lorries. Allied paratroops rushed to Tamera broke Von Arnim’s new effort to break through to cut the supply road west of Djebel Abouid which is west of Tamera. Italians stiffened by Germans attacked but eventually retreated after suffering heavy casualties. Paris radio says that Axis reconnaissance has noted large-scale troop movements behind General Montgomery’s lines, presumably in preparation for his coming offensive. The weather in the Mareth area has become worse and sand-storms are reported. North-east of Mareth, Trench forces have occupied the oasis town of Tozeur. In Northern Tunisia, the British First Army have beaten back an enemy thrust west of Sed Jenane in which from 1000 to 2000 axis troops were used. Enemy losses were five times a heavy as Allied losses and 200 Axis prisoners were taken. Axis formations continue to advance west of Cape Serrat, in the north. Algiers radio reports that advanced French elements are within two miles of Gafsa, in Central Tunis?*, and violent engagements are reported west of Gaisa. Yet anpther encounter in the long duel between the Eighth Army ana Rommel has ended in the British favour. The rat which went to ground at Mareth tried to bite the terrier, but failed and itself got bitten. The loss of tanks along the whole front in the enemy’s attacks from Sed Jenane to Mareth is considered to have seriously weakened his power of offence, if not of defence. The number of tanks captured from Rommel during his abortive assault on March 6th, and their description as given in to-day’s communique is, according to a correspondent at Allien Headquarters, striking confirmation of the fact that the German commander-in-chief had employed most nfoderfl material which, for all its weight and armour, can be met and destroyed even at fairly long range by new Britisn quick-firing anti-tank guns. The correspondent states that the German Mark Four Special weighs 42 tons and carries a 75 m.m. gun protected by 50 m.m. armour in the body and 70 m.m. in front. The Mark Three Special possess a very useful 50 m.m. short-barrel gun as well as machine-gun.