PRACTICALLY OVER

Wairarapa Times-Age, 12 April 1943, Page 4

PRACTICALLY OVER

BATTLE FOR CENTRAL TUNISIA COLLAPSE OF GERMAN FLANK. IMPORTANCE OF KAIROUAN. (By Telegraph—Press Association—Copyright) (Received This Day, 11.40 a.m.) LONDON, April 11. “The battle for Central Tunisia is practically over," says the Columbia Broadcasting systems North Africa correspondent. “The Allies have smashed through the Fondouk Pass and are now heading towards Kairouan and Sousse. The German flank has crumbled.” The whole range of hills south of Fondouk has been cleaned up. The Allies, after clearing the enemy from the Faid Pass, are now engaged in digging up minefields. Rommel is retreating at a terrific" pace. The French have cleared the enemy from the mountains at the southern end of the Ousseltia Valley. The break through at Fondouk, which brought the Allies almost to the gates of Kairouan—the Moslem’s third most sacred city—was made only after ..heavy fighting. The Axis held strong -defensive positions and moved up a -remnant of panzers to counter the BriTtlsh tanks. The passage through the 'minefifield was extremely difficult, and was. accomplished only after a motorised battalion, Which was under heavy! fire, had cleared the mines, after which British armoured forces, supported by infantry, went through and fanned out northward and southward of the fondouk-Kairouan Road. The Allies picked up stragglers and material, but the Axis forces generally seem to have extricated themselves. British tanks and French and American infantry are how spreading over the central plain, where the Germans had their best airfields. The importance of Kairouan lies in its command of a network of roads running to Sousse, Enfidaville and Pont du Fahs.