Eighth Army and Americans Approaching Sfax

Manawatu Times, Volume 68, Issue 85, 10 April 1943, Page 5

Eighth Army and Americans Approaching Sfax

Toll of Prisoners Steadily Mounting United Press Assn.—By Electric Telegraph.—Copyright. Received Saturday, 1 a.m. LONDON, April 9. With the linking of the Eighth Army with the American forces the whole Axis front is beginning to crumble. Berlin and Rome broadcasts both admit the seriousness of the situation and stress the great superiority of the forces arrayed against them. The Eighth Army is now only 45 miles from Sfax, says the Algiers radio, and the American forces advancing in the Maknassi area are within 20 miles of General Montgomery’s forces. The latest North African communique received in London .at 1 B.m. (N.Z. time) states that the Eighth Army is maintaining its pressure and forcing the enemy to retreat further north. Already it has captured 9500 prisoners apart from those taken by the Americans and the First Army. The Second United States Corps continued its mopping-up operations and tool: many prisoners. The First Army in the north continued to attack in very difficult Country and captured several strategically important positions, taking 400 prisoners since March 7. The Air Forces on all fronts continued their harassing attacks on enemy transport and bases, wrecking many vehicles and causing large explosions in the marshalling yards at Sfax. The Eighth Army is reported to be on the outskirts of Lasikhira. The Berlin military correspondent said the Allies were now attacking along the whole Tunisian front. The Exchange Telegraph Company’s correspondent with the First Army says the Germans appear to be falling back hastily and the British are steadily progressing according to plan. The Vichy radio announced that the Americans have begun a new push towards Kairwan. Reuter’s correspondent with the American forces in the El Guettar sector says following behind the reconnaissance forces which linked up with the Eighth Army, American armoured units in a fresh push eastwards along the Gabes road progressed rapidly and by Wednesday night had advanced 20 miles. The Germans were hastily retreating under heavy blows from the air. Broadcasting on the Berlin radio Captain Sertorius admitted that the German counter-attack could not check the Eighth Army’s Wadi Akarit break-through, but argued that the counter-attack was not quite Unsuccessful as is prevented the encirclement of the Axis forces east of El Guettar. He said the German counter-attack gained enough time to enable an orderly retreat from the pocket east of El Guettar, and added: “Rommel has moved his southern front back to a new defence zone the right pillar of which is the hill area east of Maknassi. No further details can be given of how the front line runs from here to the Mediterranean.” The German News Agency, however, stated that Rommel is now standing on a new line Punning from the heights south-west of Maknassi to the shores of the Noual salt marshes, 15 miles north-west of Lasikhira.