North African Campaign

Timaru Herald, Volume CLIII, Issue 22492, 29 January 1943, Page 5

North African Campaign

Effort To Prevent German Junction Americans Launch Offensive By Telegraph—New Zealand Press Association —Copyright (Received 11 p.m.) LONDON, January 28. tpHE EIGHTH ARMY’S forward patrols are in contact , 1 with the enemy at Sabratha, 40 miles west of Tripoli, and 16 miles beyond Zauia. Activity in the air has been on a smaller scale, but rail communications have been attacked in Southern Italy. The American Army concentrated in Western Tunisia has opened an offensive designed to force a passage through to the Mediterranean, according to Axis sources. The Americans attacked from around Tebessa and forward units made contact with Axis outposts. Military observers say that the object of the attack is to drive a wedge between Rommel’s forces and the German Army concentrated in Eastern Tunisia. The Tunisia correspondent of “The Times” says that our First and Eighth Armies now find themselves jointly engaged in the same operations. This for the moment is likely to be disadvantageous because the length of our communications will remain enormous even when Tripoli is again operating, whereas eliminattion of the long supply line from Tunis and Susa to Tripoli has greatly eased the German supply problem. The German forces are more compactly grouped, and the strain on the First Army is likely to be severe until the Eighth Army is able to give closer support. The Germans retain the majority of the Tunisian aerodromes and are able at short notice to transfer fresh squadrons from Sicily.

Because of the excellent work of the Royal Engineers and pioneers at the ports, the advancing Allied forces in Tripolitania will not go short of supplies, states a Cairo correspondent. The enemy did his best to make the ports unusable. At one port sappers solved the problem by cutting through the hull of a ship sunk near the shore and using the vessel as a loading jetty. Millions of gallons of petrol were made available to the Eighth Army through this ingenious device, which is just an example of the work being done all along the coast to enable supplies, particularly water and petrol, to be supplied to the advancing army. Aim of the Axis It is believed in London that Rommel is not likely to attempt anything more than a rearguard fight on the Mareth Line with the remnants of his army, which now possibly totals 40,000 to 50,000. It is not sound, from a military viewpoint, for two comparatively small forces like Rommel’s and von Arnim’s to fight 200 miles apart. Undoubtedly the aim of the Axis is to effect a junction of the two armies.

The Algiers correspondent of the “Daily Telegraph” says that the Germans, after five days’ bitter fighting, widened their original 33-mile bottleneck between Pont du Fahs and the coast into a 45-mile strip. This will be the corridor through which Rommel hopes to bring his harried troops to a temporary sanctuary. Cairo states: “Yesterday our troops made contact with enemy rearguards west of Zauia, Tripolitania. Activity in the air yesterday and on Monday night was not on a large scale, although our low-flying aircraft continued offensive sweeps over Sicily and the ferry terminus at Messina was bombed. All our aircraft returned.” Rommel continues his delaying tactics, while his main forces continue their withdrawal, according to reports from correspondents in Tripoli. He has left behind him strong rearguards with artillery. These fight from the best defensive positions by day, and run by night. Air Operations Hampered “ Weather conditions in Tunisia remain atrocious,” said a Royal Air Force spokesman. “There is now 12 inches of slime on the ground, almost insuperably Impeding all movement. Spasmodic rain is likely to continue until the end of February, but from now on these spells will grow less frequent and effective operations should be able to be resumed shortly. The change will greatly affect the work of the Royal Air Force, but the nature of the campaign will necessitate the closest co-operation by the land, sea, and air “In spite of weather handicaps the success of the naval and air attacks on enemy shipping on Sicily and in Tunisia has been highly significant. The enemy undoubtedly has received far fewer reinforcements and supplies than he anticipated. The harbours at Tunis and Blzerta have also been heavily bombed, especially by Flying Fortresses, but they have not been stopped from working. It is a slow process to put a military port entirely out of action.”

Ground Regained “In the Ousseltia Valley and the mountains to the east, Allied forces have regained some of the positions captured by the enemy in recent operations,” says a communique from Tunisia. “These positions are being consolidated. Two of a small force of enemy fighter-bombers which attacked an airfield were destroyed. We lost two during the day. Last night a small number of enemy aircraft dropped bombs in the Algiers area. Two bombers were destroyed.” According to agency reports, American troops are operating east and north-east of Ousseltia in the region about 40 miles west of the Gulf of Hammamet. Claim by General Nogues The claim that he obstructed the German Disarmament Commission in North Africa for two years and that he succeeded in concealing much modern armament belonging to the French Army in Morocco, is made by General Nogues, the former French Resident-General in Morocco, in an interview with Mr G. Ward Price, the correspondent of the “Daily Mail.” The general added that not a single case of betrayal occurred. As a result he was able, after the Allied landing, to send 15,003 troops from Morocco to fight in Tunisia, together with tanks and guns which he had saved irQm German confiscation. “I was able to keep Morocco free from German penetration, so It will now serve as a starting point for the campaign to liberate France,” he said.

As the first tangible result of the meetings between General de Gaulle and General Giraud missions will be exchanged between the Fighting French in London and General Giraud’s headquarters in North Africa, says the diplomatic correspondent of the Press Association. The missions will be small and comprise mainly military and economic liaison officers, who will not deal with the complex political questions which still exist. The decision to appoint the missions was taken at a meeting of the French National Council, to which General de Gaulle, after his return to Britain, fully reported on his meetings with General Giraud. Thrusts by British Patrols The German military spokesman, speaking over the radio, revealed a new United States advance in South Tunisia toward the rear of the Mareth Line. The United States forces in this sector were last reported at Maknassi. The spokesman, who reported lively reconnaissance and shock troop activity on the entire South Tunisia rector, said there was evidence that the American High Command was planning a major operation in tlie south which might be supported by a simultaneous operation in the areas of Medjez el Bab and Bou Arada. where strong movements had been observed in the British camps. The spokesman added that numerous new British and American batteries had been brought into action at all local points on the Tunisian front in the last 10 days* which had led to lively artillery duels. British patrols were repeatedly thrusting against the new Axis lines.