DASH FOR TUNIS

New Zealand Herald, Volume 80, Issue 24483, 16 January 1943, Page 7

DASH FOR TUNIS

ARMY OUTRAN SUPPLIES TRANSPORT DIFFICULTIES (Reed. 7.30 p.m.) LONDON, Jan. 14 "History will soon show how nearly the First Army came to taking Tunis in one rush," states the correspondent of the 'Times in Tunisia in the first connected review of the campaign. "Some weeks ago some of our troops in the forward areas were down to their last day's rations and were nearly as low in ammunition. "This was the result of our extremely and unexpectedly rapid advance in the early stages, when operations out-ran supplies. It was considered policy to take that risk in the hope of seizing Tunis, hut Tunis was not taken and the troops were left out in front with the supply services labouring to catch up. Long-Neglected Roads "The North African roads had been neglected since June, 1940, and the First Army arrived to find that troops and supplies must bo carried 500 miles over an inadequate and badly maintained road system. Bridges had to be repaired and strengthened for huge army vehicles. Scores of miles of road surface had to be relaid and much widening was necessary. "Bridges almost always carried a single line and many duplicate bridges and approaches had to be built. All sorts of subsidiary problems arose. Quarries had to be reopened with Arab labour, but the Arabs were not much interested in money wages because there was nothing 'o bin-. But they badly needed clothes, so battledress is being dyed for them. Sappers' Splendid Work "The French have given all the help they could, but the main burden has fallen 011 sappers and pioneers. The way they attack urgent jobs is a sight for sore eyes. They built a bridge over the Mejersa River with two approach roads within four days. The Germans blew out a 100 ft. span of another bridge and the sappers replaced it within a few hours. "Sappers also have to maintain aerodromes and construct new ones. The lack of aerodromes close to the front has been one of our main problems. The chief trouble is the unsuitabilitv of the soil, which swells when wet and cracks as it dries. Sappers are overcoming the difficulty and new airfields are really under way, although it is useless to expect instantaneous results." LECLERC'S PROGRESS CONTACT WITH GIRAUD LONDON, Jan. 14 Renter's Algiers correspondent says contact has now been made between General Giraud's headquarters and General Leclerc's Fighting French column which is coming north from Chad, ensuring future co-operation. General Leclerc has also made contact with the native camel corps advancing along the Tunisian-Libyan frontier at the rate of 60 miles a day General Leclerc sent a message to General de Gaulle, stating: "The Fighting French in Fezzan have so far taken prisoner over 700 of the enemy, captured 40 guns, 18 tanks, a large number of lorries and considerable stocks of arms and ammunition." AIR ATTACKS IN LIBYA EIGHT ENEMY PLANES DOWN LONDON, Jan. 14 At least eight enemy fighters were shot down when our aircraft attacked transport concentrations at an advance landing ground, says to-day's Cairo communique. Enemy forward positions were also heavily bombed and machinegunned. "New attacks from the Eighth Army an- expected in the nest few days," says the German news agency. "The 44th and 51st; British Infantry Divisions are standing by on the coastal road "The 10th Tank division is stationed south of them, while on our south flank arc the 7th Tank Division and New Zealanders, reinforced by Greeks and de Gaullists." ARREST OF BEDAUX WASHINGTON, .Tan, 14 The Secretary of State, Mr Cordell Hull, referring to the arrest in North Africa of Charles Bedaux, former friend of the Duke and Duchess of Windsor, said that one report alleged that Bedaux traded with the enemy, but no details had been received. POST-WAR EMPLOYMENT SCHEME FOR THE DISABLED LONDON, Jnn. 15 A committee set up by the British Government has just prepared a comprehensive scheme for the welfare and employment of disabled people after the war. The committee has suggested that a schedule should be drawn up of occupations opened to disabled people only and to which able-bodied persons would be admitted only by licence. Another proposal is that certain industries should agree to take a definite quota of disabled people. Disablement is not merely a medical problem but also a social one, says the committee. One of the greatest fears of a disabled person is that of becoming a burden. If that fear could be removed it might be a creat factor in n person's recovery. The committee urges that the scheme should be worked out in detail while the war is on, so that it can be put into operation immediately the war is over.