FIGHTING FRENCH

Timaru Herald, Volume CLIII, Issue 22478, 13 January 1943, Page 5

FIGHTING FRENCH

Advance In Southern Tunisia Important Italian Post Attacked By Telegraph—N.Z. Press Assn.—Copyright LONDON, January 11. Dakar radio to-day reported that strong French forces, advancing from Ghadames, in the south of Tunisia, had penetrated into Tripolitania where they now are engaged in heavy fighting for an important Italian post 25 miles from the Algerian-Tripoli tanian frontier. These forces are operating 450 miles southward of Tunis. Ghadames is not far from the junction of the borders in Tunisia, Algeria and Tripolitania. A communique from General le Clerc’s Fighting French headquarters states: “Operations in northern Fezzan are proceeding favourably. We are going ahead rapidly with the military and administrative organisation of the territory occupied by the Fighting French forces. Lieutenant-Colonel Pierre de Lange has been appointed military governor of the Fezzan territory.” Lieutenant-Colonel de Lange played a big part in rallying Equatorial Africa to the Fighting French and in 1941 he distinguished himself in the Syrian campaign. An American Air Force fighter pilot dropped a bomb squarely on the German headquarters at Karouaian and demolished the buildings, reports Reuter’s corespondent at Allied headquarters in North Africa. Major Philip Cochrane carried out the attack, flying a P4O. He went in alone a< roof top height with a large bomb. lie saw the building a mass of flaming wreckage. A Focke-Wulf 190 attacked, wounded him in the arm and damaged his aeroplane, but Major Cochrane fought off the attack and returned safely to his base. The appointment of Brigadier-Gen-eral Spaatz a.s Commander-in-Chief of the Allied Air Forces in North Africa has caused some surprise, says the Algiers correspondent of “The Times.” Air Marshal Sir William Walsh, of the R.A.F., who has hitherto been responsible to Lieutenant-General • «*'hower has worked in admirable agreement with Major-General J. Doolittle, who is similarly responsible for the United States Twelfth Air Force. To interpose one more officer between them and Lieutenant-General Eisenhower seems only to support, the current quip about the North African operations “never so lew commanded by so many.’’ The retention by Brigadier-General Spaatz of the command of the Uniled States Air Forces in the European theatre .’.rem. 1 , also (u Indicate that lie is concerned In muinluinlng equal supplies of alfcral’l. Io t.he rcspecl iv;* theatres.