HARD FIGHT AHEAD

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

HARD FIGHT AHEAD

CONFUSED POSITION FLUCTUATING STRUGGLE REVIEW OF EARLIER MOVES LONDON, March 24 Despatches from North Africa indicate that the great battle of South Tunisia is very confused, says the British official wireless. As Mr. Churchill said this morning, it has by no means reached its climax and much very hard fighting still lies before the British and American forces. According to a press message received this afternoon, the Germans made the utmost efforts to prevent the Eighth Army from widening the initial gap made in the defences, and sent in wave alter wave of troops, supported by tanks and covered by a strong artillery barrage. Bitter, confused fighting took place, in which formations moved from one place to another and returned to the attack again and again. Unprecedented Air Attacks The Allied air forces kept up a storm of attack on a. scale never before seen, even at El Alamein. Often fighters shooting up enemy troops had to switch their attacks hurriedly to avoid hitting their own men as they advanced. In all its fluctuations, adds the correspondent, the great struggle is being fought out on ground wrested from the enemy ft the beginning of the offensive. The British flanking forces which made a wide detour toward El 1 lamina hold the high ground eight miles from that place and are meeting strong opposil ion. Axis Forces Fighting Well An Allied tank unit is now master of the high ground on Jebel Doaua, live miles south-east of Maknassy and within 30 miles of the coast. The Americans holding the heights astride the road east of" El Guettar repulsed enemy tank attacks, which are continuing in lace of a heavy barrage, lho enemy in this sector, as in the Mareth scone, is also being very heavily attacked from the air. It is emphasised in London that the Germans and Italians in the Mareth Line are fighting extremely well in the very hard battle which is now proceeding. The Italian Bersaglieri. are lighting equal!v well in Northern luiiisia, where they have been checked near Jebel Abiod and to some extent thrown back it is thought possible that the eneiiiv may have been compelled by events in the south to thin out torces in the north, but he seems to be determined to secure as much room as possible around the northern part of his bridgehead in the Uizerta-Tunis area. OCCUPATION OF PASS AMERICANS SHELL. AIRFIELD (Herd. 5.35 p.m.) LONDON, March VI The Americans in the Maknassy sector have moved into a pass eastward of Maknassy after engaging the enemy, who were in the hills to the northeast and south-east. The Americans now are firmly established in the pass after clearing enemy mines. This move enabled them to brinpf up long-range guns to shell an important enemy air- j field at Mczzouna, several miles further east, from which enemy planes had been attacking. Reports late this afternoon indicated that the shelling had destroyed five planes on the ground and the enemv were evacuating the aerodrome. Unsuccessful enemy attempts to dislodge the Americans from their newlywon positions are described by a correspondent The enemy threw in a panzer division against the American positions on the Gafsa-Gabes road, about 15 miles east of El Guettar, but when darkness fell the Americans were still holding the same positions. It is estimated that the enemy lost at least 20 tanks of between 50 and 60 ho employed, supported by artillery and infantry, but his artillery succeeded in knocking out a number of American guns. The enemy put in two big attacks during the day, both with dive-bomber support. The first was an hour after the dawn and the second late in the afternoon. CEASELESS AIR ATTACKS ALLIES HITTING HARD LONDON, March VM The Luftwaffe in Tunisia is apparently throwing its heaviest weight against the Americans, who are suffering an intense strafing from Stukas, nigh-level bombers and cannon-firing fighters in the hillv country in the Maknassy area. The Cairo correspondent of the Tunes says the Western Desert air striking force is hitting as hard in Tunisia as it did in Egypt and Libya. Operations are taking on a definite pattern. _ Heavy and medium bombers are blasting the Axis first line communications around Gabes during the night, while light and medium bombers and fighter-bombers are attacking in the immediate battle area during the day. Troop concentrations, motor transport, and guns in fixed positions arc being bombed and machine-gunned without respite. A trail of shattered vehicles burning store's and blasted guns mark our aircraft's path. Armour is no protection against the weight of our air attack. Many tanks and armoured cars have been shattered. Fighters all day patrol the battle area, whether escorting I hers or on offensive sweeps, enemy fighters offering little opposition. A Ceaseless offensive is also being waged against Axis land and sea communications. A North Africa communique says that from all these operations eight of our aircraft are missing. LIMITING SALARIES UNITED STATES DECISION nn.-nl. p.m.) WASHINGTON. March -1 The Joint Sena ie and I louse o! Rep i cm'ntat ive,s conference committee, agreed to accept the Senate's version of tlie hill nullifying President Roosevelt's administrative order limiting wartime salaries to !_'•),O'X) dollars net