NOW IN BRITISH HANDS

Timaru Herald, Volume CLIII, Issue 22473, 7 January 1943, Page 3

NOW IN BRITISH HANDS

Heights Of Mateur

Successful Dawn

Attack

By Telegraph—N.Z. Press Assn.—Copyright (12.3 a.m.) LONDON, Jan. 6. British commandos and men of famous south-east of England regiments, in a swift and fierce dawn attack, threw the Germans from strong positions in the hills a few miles west of Mateur, says Reuter’s correspondent with the First Army. Supported by artillery and Hurribombers, the British forces advanced after an all night downpour, over bare mountain sides and occupied the German positions in three hours. The Germans late in the afternoon counterattacked but so far have been unsuccessful. Our success was achieved against some of the best German troops in Tunisia, who have been digging in -»nd consolidating for several weeks. The commandos participating were men who made the initial landing at Algiers and who consolidated the occupation of Bone. Parachutists also participated. It was the first action in this sector for about a month, when the same troops were beaten back in .a similar assault. The British for the past month have been in the valley overlooked by the Germans. Now the British are on the height overlooking the Germans in the valley. In the south Axis forces who attacked French positions at Fodnouck on January 3 occupied an important road junction on the Fodnouck-Elokbi road a few miles past Pichon. Their move apparently limited the capture of this point, since an enemy tank force retired to Kairwan. The British United Press correspondent at Allied Headquarters says that a small detachment of Canadian troops has arrived in North Africa. Dakar radio says that General Giraud arrived at Dakar escorted by 25 planes, for consultations with the British and American missions on the use of the port for supplies and the war on U-boats. Vichy radio says that General Nehring has launched a local offensive in the Terburba area. American Drive to Coast American troops are within a day’s march of Gabes in a drive to the coast road linking the armies of General Nehring and Rommel, says the Eighth Army "News,” which daily reaches the troops in Tripolitania. The correspondent of the “Daily

Mail” with the First Army says that Arabs are constantly wandering across No-man’s-land between the Allied and German positions. He describes Tunis as a dead city, shuttered and silent except for the German garrison. Its population has been moved out except the Jews, who are forced to help in defence work. The Germans aim to fortify every house and street. ’ This will turn the city into a hedgehog like Stalingrad. The city’s lay-out facilitates the task, for the warren of streets in the older quarters face inland. It is evident from the nature of the defences being constructed that the First Army faces a hard fight when the rainy season allows tank movement. The weather at present is dry, but 24 hours of rain will turn No-man’s-land into a sea of mud, across which tanks will be unable to cross. The threat of this will last until the end of January at least.

The Algiers correspondent of the Exchange Telegraph Agency says that it is officially announced that the United States Fifth Army has been formed under the command of Lieu-tenant-General Mark Clark. This army and the British First Army will be under General Eisenhower’s command.

Rome radio reports that the Sultan of Morocco has issued a proclamation confining all Axis citizens to their houses. Their radio sets have been requisitioned and their premises searched. Many persons have been arrested or placed In a concentration camp.