Germans Fail In Major Sally From Mareth Line Positions

Northern Advocate, 8 March 1943, Page 3

Germans Fail In Major Sally From Mareth Line Positions

(Received 1 p.m.) LONDON, March 7. WHILE ALGIERS RADIO DECLARED THAT THF EIGHTH ¥? ARMY IS COMPLETE MASTER OF THE SITUATION, HAVING REPULSED ROMMEL’S ATTACKS, THE BRITISH UNITED PRESS CORRESPONDENT REPORTS THAT VIOLENT FIGHTING IS STILL GOING ON ON THE MARETH LINE FRONT. The British United Press adds that Rommel’s opening attacks at dawn on March 6 were launched from Toupana Halluf, on the western end of the Mareth Line front, which is the right flank of the Axis positions. Rommel’s losses in men and tanks were heavy, but Eighth Army losses were negligible. Algiers radio said Rommel’s defeat before the Mareth Line was graver than at Kasserine. An American radio commentator reported that Rommel is reforming for a fresh attack. There is no doubt at headquarters that the German thrusts were a major attack, intended to defeat the Eighth Army. “A decisive stage in the Battle for Africa has begun,” Reuter’s correspondent on the Tunisian front says. “Rommel has thrown in all his men and armour in a desperate attempt to throw General Montgomery off his balance and stave off a British onslaught. “Rommel is running the dangerous risk of weakening himself by exposing his forces to such shattering blows as General Montgomery dealt out yesterday.”

Move Anticipated

Rommel sent out old campaigners q! the Panzer Forces,' along with infantry, into the attack against the Eighth Army but the move was anticipated, says a correspondent in North Africa. It was artillery against tank. The enemy's heavy armoured forces suffered heavily in the first attack launched at 6.45 a.m. in the southern sector of the Mareth area. The second attack, launched at 10.3 C, developed on a much larger scale. Rommel appeared to be trying to move northward to higher ground from Matmata. Again this move was anticipated and successfully met by the British. Gur positions held everywhere. Fighting is becoming the biggest battle since El Alamein. Rommel’s forces, whose losses are already very heavy without its having penetrated any pait of our positions, is reforming. The Germans seemed to put the whole of their weight into the southern attack but in the northern sector fighting is light. Near Medenine A wireless commentator, describing the battle, says that the Eighth Army, having reached that point of its advance when it turned from going eastward to go north, is standing to fight some miles north-west of the town of Medenine. Six or seven miles ahead is the Mareth line. The British are on a fairly narrow plain with hills to its left, widening away southward, and behind it the coast curving round to the east.

In the first light yesterday Rommel's tanks and infanti-y appeared out of the hills on the Eighth Army’s left, moving northward with the object of swinging to attack. On Serious Business

An hour later German and Italian Panzer forces came from the Mareth line proper and made a direct frontal attack.

By 10.30 it was clear that the enemy meant serious business. Our guns met the attack and so far as it is known the enemy lost 21 tanks. By this time he has certainly lost more. The Eighth Army has perfected its technique in dealing with knocked-out tanks. Sappers blow them up so that the enemy cannot recover and use them again.

It is also known that Rommel is using most of the guns and troops he sent off a fortnight ago through central Tunisia up to Kasserine gap. Many ol his troops have certainly covered several hundred miles in the last week or two. They, of course, are very tough, battle-trained troops in a good position geographically and they’may feel there is no immediate cause to worry about their rear. Trek Across Africa A detachment of Fighting French paratroops has arrived at Algiers after an adventurous trek from the Nile banks via Kufra Oasis in southern Libya. The paratroops, after blowing up the Gabcs-Sfax railway, penetrated German positions near Gafsa and joined up with General Giraud’s forces. Attempt Foiled An Allied North African communique states: “On the First Army s front in Northern Tunisia, the enemy’s widespread offensive efforts have relaxed and we have regained the initiative. Our patrols 'were again intensely active, taking over 100 prisoners and generally consolidating their recent gains in all sectors. “In Southern Tunisia the enemy made two heavy attacks with infantry and tanks against the Eighth Army in the Mareth area yesterday. Both attacks were decisively held and heavy casualties in men and tanks were inflicted on the enemy, who failed to penetrate our positions at any point. Our losses were negligible. “Our fighters were particularly active throughout the day on the northern front and fighter-bombers attacked enemy vehicles successfully. “In the Eighth Army area fighterbombers made attacks on enemy columns and concentrations of tanks and motor transport. One enemy fighter was destroyed. Three of our aircraft are missing.” Pichon Entered

An earlier Allied North African communique says that Allied armoured units yesterday advanced further eastwards and entered Pichon, 20 miles west of Kairouan.

Enemy activity in Northern Tunisia is on a reduced scale, but our vigorous patrol activity continued on all sectors and small local gains were achieved. Thirty enemy tanks have been destroyed since the enemy started attacks in the north. Eighth Army patrol activity continued and enemy working parties were successfully engaged by our artillery. French patrols continued activity in the Shott-Jeria-Salt Lake area.

Gateway to Plain

The reported Allied advance 25 miles from Sbeitla to Sidi Bouzid is confirmed. The latter place is a dozen miles west of Faid Pass, from which the Germans started their counteroffensive.

According to the New York radio, Allied troops have captured Faid Pass

itself, (which is the gateway to the central Tunisian plain. The report is not officially confirmed, but earlier North African despatches suggested that the Germans retired into the pass following Allied, occupation of Sidi Bouzid.

Recent heavy assaults on the British bastion facing Tunis and Bizerta have died down for the moment, except in the extreme north, where possession of Sedjenane is disputed. Pressure along the road north-east of Beja has been especially heavy, but the front from there to the main pivot at Medjez El Bab holds firm. Neither has the enemy succeeded in undermining the pivot from south of Medjez. However, he still lies in a dangerous salient. Fierce Struggle on 50-mile Front The German effort in Tunisia at present is concentrated on a 50-mile front running south from the Mediterranean. in which the enemy are doing their utmost to dislodge the British from Sedjenane, Beja and Medjez el Bab. These three places command important east-west roads. Sedjenane is very important because the Germans only have to push on a few miles beyond Sedjenane before the hilly defensible country widens out into a rolling sandy plain, swinging south-westward across communications to Beja and Medjez el Bab. A Vital Trio Events of the past five days indicate that the Allied command is fully seized of the importance of holding these three road blocks. The Germans have vainly sacrificed hundreds of men and scores of armoured and other vehicles in an attempt to grab Sedjenane. The Germans are still on the outskirts of Sedjenane and Medjez el Bab, around which hot artillery duels are going on.

The British line runs north from Sedjenane to a point four miles east of Cape Serrat. The Germans reattacked Sedjenane today with five battalions of infantry. The fiercest infantry fighting of the campaign ensued. Several attacks were beaten back, but the latest reports state that the attacks have been renewed. British Recapture Ridge The British have reoccupied a ridge west of Sidi Nisir, which had been in Axis hands. A German infantry battalion, supported by 15 tanks, later attempted to advance towards Beja. but turned back under an intense barrage from 25-pounders.

Berlin radio claims that the Germans have reached a point just south of Cape Serrat. The Eighth Army is holding positions four to six miles from the Mareth Line. British patrols are constantly probing no-man’s-land.