STRONGER DRIVE

New Zealand Herald, Volume 80, Issue 24542, 26 March 1943, Page 3

STRONGER DRIVE

CxEMAN expectation CLIMAX NOT YET REACHED LONDON, March 24 German sources claim that by Tuesday evening all British penetrations of the Mareth Line had been ironed out and that both sides were back on the approximate positions which they held on Saturday, when the Eighth Army launched its offensive. The Germans also claim that the Eighth Army's outflanking force which reached the El Hamrna region was severely punished in a surprise attack. Mr Churchill's statement to the House of Commons, in which he said that the Germans, in a counter-attack, had retaken most of the defence positions which they had lost, apparently reported the situation ruling on Tuesday evening Eighth Army's Superiority i'lie Germans admit that General Montgomery has not yet employed his maximum force and they expect even more powerful attacks. Captain Sertorius, the Berlin radio commentator, said: "The great battle of South and Central Tunisia has not yet reached its climax. Strong enemy attempts to penetrate the Mareth Line have thus far been frustrated, but fighting is progressing, it is not yet possible to predict the outcome. " The Eighth Army's groat superiority in men and materials enabled the quick replacement of their losses during the first three days of the offensive," Sertorius continued. "It has been Montgomery's tactics since the battle of Kl Alamein to reserve some particularly good shock divisions until the last decisive phase." Berlin Radio Claims The Berlin radio claims that the British lost 44 tanks in attempts to penetrate the Mareth Line. .British formations, pushing toward Kl Mamma, lost practically all their tanks. "They assumed that the Axis had only a weak covering force in this area," the announcer said, "and were in close formation when Axis units made a surprise attack from the front and from the Hanks." The Berlin radio also claimed that dive-bombers and other Luftwaffe loimations checked American attacks against the narrow pusses east of Maknassy, and added that the French, mi the right wing of the Americans in South Tunisia, were arnlmshed and lost 300 killed and 100 taken prisoner and were driven back to their original positions. TREATMENT OF JEWS COLLABORATION BY VICHY CRenf. 6.15 p.m.) LONDON, March '2l The Vichy Government has resumed the shipment, of Jews to Poland and Eastern Europe under conditions which for the old and the ailing are tantamount, to death. Circles in Berne say that a contingent of 2500 foreign Jew's, aged from fg to 60, were last week sent, irom a camp near Lourdes. They were locked in croups ot oO to 50 in cattle trucks, with little food for six days. Many died on the journey. BAKER TO HITLER NEW YORK, March 24 o, u . of four enemy aliens arrested by the Federal Bureau of Investigation identified himself as a former baker at Hitler's Berchtesgaden retreat. He (rave the bureau detailed descriptions of the banquets he helped to prepare for Hitler The baker, whose name is not disclosed, came to America in 1937, Since then lie has been employed by a prominent New York restaurant. Jhe bureau has confiscated considerable quantities of propaganda, cameras and short-wave receivers.