AMERICAN PUSH CONTINUES

New Zealand Herald, Volume 80, Issue 24541, 25 March 1943, Page 3

AMERICAN PUSH CONTINUES

EARLIER BREACH. IN MARETH LINE By Telegraph—Press Association—Copyright (Received March 21, 11.30 p.m.) LONDON, March 2-1 Mr. Churchill announced in Parliament this morning that the latest information from the Mareth front showed that the Germans had counter-attacked and regained the greater part of the victory which the Eighth Army had won. The American Fifth Army is continuing its advance beyond Maknassy. The Algiers radio said that an American armoured column had captured a height about six miles east of the village. jThe broadcast added that Axis minefields were making the American advance very difficult, while enemy artillery in the hills north of Maknassy was holding the road to the coast under fire. Six Strongpoints Taken in Earlier Advance Fighting more intense than at El Alamein raged in the Mareth area, said an earlier report from Allied headquarters. Italian and German prisoners exceed 3000. The British Eighth Army had driven a wedge into the most strongly-defended part of the Mareth Line. Violent fighting took place before the British stormed fixed defences. To reach the line they had to fight their way across very difficult country. They took six strongpoints, including a battalion headquarters, five company headquarters, and at least 20 pillboxes. General Montgomery was reported to be pouring tanks, guns and infantry into the gap under cover of a tremendous artillery and aerial barrage, said the correspondent of the Daily Telegraph at Allied headquarters. Our troops forced the gap by thrusting stags by stage across a complicated trench system covered by machine-gun positions—a situation probably more similar to the last war than any previous engagement in this war. Our infantry advanced doggedly, mopping up artillery and machine-gun posts with hand grenades. Outflanking Movement Toward EI Hamma Subsequent news indicated that the Eighth Army was trying to widen the gap. The breach was at the coastal end of the line and was about three miles wide and nearly a mile deep on Monday morning. The British troops had reached a point, two miles and a-half south-west of Sarat, which is 10 miles north-east of Mareth. The British force which has reached the vicinity of El Hamma worked its way clear around fortified Mareth positions outflanking 5 the whole line, says the Columbia Broadcasting System correspondent at Algiers. El Hamma is 45 miles north-west of Mareth .—in other words, behind it. The Matmata hills have not yet been cleared. It may be assumed that bodies of enemy troops are still concealed in the hills and in a position to maintain guerilla activities against our communications on either side of the hills. French troops are advancing along the marshy country of Shott el Jerid. Reuter's correspondent says that 70,000 French troops are participating in the Tunisian offensive.