LINE BROKEN AT BAYONET POINT

Southland Times, Issue 25024, 9 April 1943, Page 5

LINE BROKEN AT BAYONET POINT

GERMANS TAKEN BY SURPRISE

LONDON, April 7.

The Bth Army is continuing its advance through the breach in the German positions. Tanks and armoured vehicles are shielding waves of infantry, declared Algiers radio tonight. The radio earlier stated that the Sth Army had taken several of the Axis Akarit defence lines at the point of the bayonet. This detail, though implicit in Mr Churchill’s statement, completes the picture of Field-Marshal Rommel’s discomfiture in that early morning hour of darkness when his unsuspecting forces were deafened by the sudden roar of 500 guns and found themselves being bayoneted from all sides by an unseen enemy. From the sparse details available it is clear that the Germans held the Wadi Akarit position in great strength. General Montgomery’s offensive progressed with astonishing rapidity. It was the first time in North Africa that a big scale attack had opened in pitch darkness. WEDGE IN DEFENCES

According to the Algiers radio report, the Bth Army drove a wedge in the Axis defences to an extent of 12| miles and armoured and motorized columns throughout the day poured through the heavy breach in the enemy lines.

General Montgomery, in a statement on the Bth Army’s victory, said: “My troops fought splendidly. The fighting was as tough as anything at El Alamein.” Describing the battle the National Broadcasting Corporation’s correspondent says: “The Bth Army at 4 a.m. yesday began blasting Field-Marshal Rommel’s defences with one of the heaviest artillery barrages of the African war. Soon afterwards the battle units began rolling forward. The chief Axis defences on the other side of the Wadi Akarit centred on two hill positions. General Montgomery’s ‘desert rats’ at 6 a.m. stormed and took the hills and Field-Marshal Rommel at dawn faced the fact that his main defence line was 'lost. He launched counter-attacks, but these were flung back. Organized opposition ceased at 6.30 a.m. in this area and by 8 a.m. the bridge-head had been won and the way was open for the smashing drive which was to begin the second phase of the battle.” Berlin radio tonight declared that the “battle is continuing with undiminished violence.” Referring to events yesterday the radio said: “There were heavy and bitter battles all day. General Montgomery’s losses were heavy because he had to work his way forward through heavily mined territory in the Wadi Akarit.”

Rome radio said: “The Axis in Tunisia has suffered heavy casualties. The Allies have greatly superior numbers and equipment. It is, however, necessary for the Axis to fight to the end as Tunisia is Italy’s last bastion for Europe.” The British United Press correspondent in Tunisia says that Field-Marshal Rommel has no defensive positions until 15 miles beyond Akarit and no real line to hold on to until he is well above Sousse. ROMMEL DISCONCERTED

Reuters’ military correspondent says that Field-Marshal Rommel cannot expect to find a suitable natural line on which to make a stand before Sousse, which would mean a retreat of 150 miles. He adds that General Montgomery’s offensive has advanced with astonishing rapidity which must have completely disconcerted Rommel. It is now clear that the Germans were standing on the Akarit position in great strength and that once again General Montgomery smashed through with a frontal attack, a magnificent feat of administrative organization as it was launched on a major scale after only six days of preparation.