ENEMY HALTED

Otago Daily Times, Issue 25134, 27 January 1943, Page 3

ENEMY HALTED

FIGHTING IN TUNISIA IMPROVEMENT IN SITUATION RUGBY, Jan. 25. The North African Allied Force Headquarters states that the enemy advance in the Ousseltia Valley has been stopped. Our forces patrolled north from Ousseltia. A raid by American troops on Maknassy resulted in the capture of 80 enemy prisoners, while 50 prisoners were captured in the British sector. Fighters made many sweeps in support of our ground forces, the communique continues. On Saturday night bombers atacked the docks at Bizerta, and vehicles on the roads eastward of Kairouan. Yesterday the harbour of Susa and an airfield near Medenin were bombed. 'At least one ship was hit and damage was done to the airfield. One enemy fighter was destroyed. One of ours is missing. The news from Tunisia, according to The Times, suggests an improvement, “ The resistance to the strong pressure by General von Arnim’s armoured forces in central Tunisia seems to be increasing, though the Germans have made unwelcome gains. The enemy reports of a large American concentration at Tebassa are suggestive of an impending counter-attack.” The Times adds that General Eisenhower must possess considerable American forces which have not yet been heavily engaged, but points out that a general assault is dependent on an improvement in the weather, which is unlikely for some weexs. Within the last few weeks the Canadian corvette Ville de Quebec rammed and destroyed a German submarine in the western Mediterranean.