GERMANS MASSING

Timaru Herald, Volume CLIII, Issue 22476, 11 January 1943, Page 5

GERMANS MASSING

Coming Battle For Tunisia Reinforcements Of Every Kind By Telegraph—N.Z. Press Assn.— Copyright (6.30 p.m.) LONDON, January 9. The Germans are massing for the coming battle for Tunisia, says the Algiers correspondent of the “Daily Express.” Every available transport plane and glider is being pressed into service by the Axis to rush reinforcements from Italy to Tunisia. The Germans are not going to fight a delaying action and then clear out of North Africa. They are going to defend Tunisia as a major front and right now they are reinforcing with every modern weapon in their armoury. Allied infantry—Tommies, Doughboys and Poilus—are within 40 miles of their two great goals—Tunis and Bizerta. Both sides are bogged down in deep clinging, slimy, impassable mud. For the air forces it must be the same. The forward landing grounds are simply open paddocks lying on the floors of valleys which were swamped overnight by rains. But the Allies definitely lead In the struggle In the sky. The "Daily Mail” in a leading article, says: “We are unable to understand why the British public should not be more fully acquainted with the position of the Axis and Allied forces in Tunisia. The recent general impression was that the enemy held only the tip of Tunisia and the towns and airfields of Tunis and Bizerta, but correspondents’ statements prove that the Axis forces occupy a substantial slice of Tunisia, running from north to south and some places 70 miles inland. “Nothing more has been heard of the American forces who were advancing on Gabes in an attempt to cut the coast road liking the German armies in Tunisia and Tripolitania. We are still bombing Gabes. It can be deduced that the Axis occupies the entire coast between Bizerta and Tripoli and that they are using the vital coast road for communication between the armies of General Nehring and Marshal Rommel. “This explains the suggestion that Rommel is receiving the equipment necessary for the replacement of that lost at El Alamein. It is necessary to utter a warning against the possible results of allowing only the most meagre information to flow from this battlefront. The British and American Governments will have only themselves to blame if expectations are not realised and the storm bursts around their heads.” The Axis army in Tunisia is estimated at 25,000 men. Reinforcements are reported to be arriving by air at the rate of 500 a day. Allied Air Attacks American Flying Fortresses heavily and successfully attacked Bizerta and Ferryville, scoring direct hits on docks, shipping and oil tanks and starting large fires. United States planes also attacked Gabes, oil stores, railroads and bridges along the eastern sector and the Airwan Airfield. Eight enemy planes were shot down for the loss of five. The Royal Air Force destroyed one for the loss of one. It is announced that BrigadierGeneral Spaatz has been appointed commanded-in-chief of the new Allied air force in Tunisia, consisting of the British Eastern Air Command and the United States Twelfth Air Force, also some French units. Brigadier-General Spaatz remains commander-in-chief of the United States air forces in the European theatre. On Thursday a force of heavy bombers attacked Palermo harbour and scored hits on installations. Fighter-bombers raided the sulphur works at Licata in Sicily and caused violent explosions. The airfield on Lampedusa Island was also attacked. One of our aircraft is missing. A United States Air Headquarters communique from Cairo states: “Bombardment aircraft of the Ninth United States Air Force attacked shipping and harbour installations at Tunis in daylight on Friday. The results were not observed owing to cloud conditions. One Messerschmitt 109 was shot down. All of our machines returned." Comparison of Losses Figures of Allied and enemy air losses in the first two months of the North African campaign have been issued by Allied Headquarters. The enemy aircraft destroyed totalled 344 and the Allied 147. The German News Agency says that General Montgomery is concentrating the bulk of his forces on the south flank of the Italian and German tank army. General Montgomery has 90,000 vehicles assembled in depth, most of which are supply vehicles.