STRONG DEFENCES

Wairarapa Times-Age, 29 December 1942, Page 3

STRONG DEFENCES

PREPARED BY GERMANS IN TUNISIA GIANT TANKS USED-AS MOBILE PILLBOXES. PRISONERS OF SUPERIOR TYPE TAKEN. i (Bv Telegraph—Press Association— Copyright) LONDON, December 27. The Germans in Tunisia are using giant tanks whose armament includes a large anti-tank gun and 88 millimetre guns (which broke many British thrusts in the earlier Libyan campaigns). These are the largest tanks with which the British and Americans have been forced to deal with since the outbreak of , the war. These huge tanks are not expected to be much use offensively, because of soggy ground and scarcity of strong bridges in the forward area, but they are proving a formidable weapon in defence, for which they are used as mobile pill-boxes. The correspondent of the Associated Press of Great Britain with the French sin North Africa says that the giant tanks show that the Germans are quick to learn from the Russians, who effec tively used similar machines, particularly before Stalingrad. Germans taken prisoner recently are of a superior type ,showing that the scratch troops hurriedly rushed up from France and Italy when the Allies landed have been reinforced by some of the best combat troops. The Germans are pressing on with defence works. The Mejez el Bab area is strongly laced with minefields and trench-works. Italians are little in evidence.