ENEMY BEATEN BACK

Waikato Times, Volume 131, Issue 21907, 10 December 1942, Page 3

ENEMY BEATEN BACK

ALLIED CAMPAIGN IN TUNISIA DIRECT HITS SCORED ON DESTROYER RAIDS BY BRITISH AND AMERICAN BOMBERS LONDON, Dec. 9 British and American bombers today made damaging raids on Bizerta. Direct hits were scored on a destroyer in the harbour and on other targets, f rom the land operations there were no reports. A broadcast from Allied Headquarters in North Africa says that infantry' and armoured forces were yesterday pressing on the German positions at Toburba, and that things were looking much better than on the previous day. American broadcasts say the troops are receiving stronger air support. The Madrid radio quotes an Algiers report that an extremely strong Axis force started a new push along the coast toward Tabarca, but was beaten bark with severe losses, chiefly inflicted by British 25-poundcrs on the flank and hill positions.

FEAR OF DARLAN

AFTER-WAR FRANCE ASSURANCE BY AMERICA NO FASCIST REGIME (United Tress Assn.—Elec. Tel. Copyright) (Received Dec. 10, 11 a.m.) NEW YORK. Dec. 9 The New York Times’ representative, Arthur Krock, says that Mr Cordell Hull conferred with M. Adrien Tixier and Rear-Admirai d’Argenlieu, Fighting French Commissioners in Washington and the Pacific respectively, in an effort to remove fears that Admiral Darlai: would use his position in Not Africa to impose a Fascist regime . France after the war. He assured them that the Unite.? States would not permit Admiral Darlan even to attempt such a move. The Fighting French believe Admiral Darlan intends to lead c< large Fascist army to France with the invading United Nation's forces, in order to establish a totalitarian government. American official circles reply: “Where would Admiral Darlan gel the fo/ces for such an army? If he could get the forces, how can it be reasonably thought that the United > Nations would permit them to be concentrated?” Did Most Effective Thing Mr Hull explained that at the ] time of the Anglo-American landing ] the military problem was necessarily ! paramount, therefore it was not a moment to cease fighting and ask the names and addresses of those Frenchmen who offered to aid us. Mr Hull declared that the Allied forces were perilously exposed and General Eisenhower did what has proved to be the most effective thing in advancing the army towards its objective. General Eisenhower’s arrangement continues a purely military affair. Mr Hull revealed that General Giraud was the first choice for prin- j cipa! collaborator in North Africa, j but he was unable to assemble the j necessary power. General Giraud J approved of the arrangement with i Admiral Darlan, which put the mili- ! tary time-table in North Africa two months ahead of schedule, “saving the lives of at least 18,000 American soldiers and probably many more before the chapter ends.” Mr Hull said that after the war the French can choose their leaders and political system, pointing out that 3,000,000 Frenchmen in North Africa will hardly be able to impose an unwanted regime on the French people. Statement by Mr Eden Asked in the House of Commons whether confidence could be felt that no information likely to be detrimental to the success of our arms or the safety of our troops was passing from North Africa to Europe as a result of our association with persons or groups in North Africa not proved to be in accord with the principles for which we are fighting, Mr Anthony Eden said the problem was the responsibility of the military authorities on the spot. He understood that the necessary measures were being taken to meet it. PLOT TO KIDNAP WANTED DARLAN FOR TRIAL (United Press Assn.—Elec. Tel. Copyright) LONDON, Dec. 9 The Paris radio says it is reported from Tangier that American police made several arrests in connection with an alleged plot to kidnap Admiral Darlan. The plotters aimed at taking Admiral Darlan to Brazzaville for trial by a de Gaullist tribunal. • ALLIED ACTIVITY DESTRUCTION FROM AIR {Official Wireless) (Received Dec. 10, 11.40 a.m.) RUGBY, Dec. 9 A Cairo communique states: "Yesterday our patrols were active in the forward areas. The Marble Arch landing ground was again attacked by our fighter bombers and in the ensuing combat with enemy planes at least seven Messerschmitts were shot down and many'damaged. A JUBB was shot down off the coast of Cyrenaica. It is now known that an additional Messerschbitt 109 was destroyed on December 7. On the night of December 7 our heavy bombers attacked Misurata and an aerodrome near Homs. The Bizerta docks and seaplane base were also bombed and hits were scored on a destroyer, a fuel dump and a large building. The TunisQr.bes railway was also successfully attacked. Yesterday off Lampedusa Island long-range fighters shot down three enemy transport aircraft and one escorting fighter. Others were damaged. From all these operations two of planes are missing. Allied Headquarters states: Activity in the forward areas yesterday were limited to patrolling. Additional reports show that 20 enemy tanks were destroyed during the * operations on December 6. Further details of the air operations disclose that three additional enemy aircraft were destroyed. Two more of our planes were lost, but one pilot is sale.

USE OF DAKAR ALLIES’ GREAT ADVANTAGE 'L'nHpfJ pres? \<=sn.—Fine. Tpl. Copyright) (Received Dec. 10, 11.30 a.m.) NEW YORK, Dec. 9 The accession of Dakar to the United Nations’ cause and the announcement that some warships at Toulon are still afloat indicate a net gain for the United Nations, says the ; representative of the New York ■ Times, Hanson Baldwin. Dakar is useful as a new and shorter air ferryroute to North : Arfica. also as a submarine base for defensive and offensive operations. ' The Nazis may use some of the Toulon ships but this advantage is more than cancelled by the allied use of the French warships at Dakar r.d Casablanca. The United Nations’ aval lead is so great that even if the VT : j zis raised all the ships at Toulon the balance of naval power would not be altered. The Axis would still be far behind. FIGHTING FRENCH MEN FROM SOMALILAND (L'nltPrt Pres* Assn.—El or. Tei. Copyright) (Received Dec. 10, 1 p.m.) LONDON. Dec. 9 Lieutenant-Colonel Rainal, one of the senior officers of the Vichy garrison at Djibouti, French Somaliland, has arrived at Diredawa, in Abyssinia, with 40 of his officers and 1500 men. Lieutenant-Colonel Rainal telegraphed General Legentilhomme, Fighting French National Commissioner for War, expressing his feelings of devotion and fidelitv. The French garrrson at Djibouti is estimated at about 6000. TROOPS AND SUPPLIES TRANSPORT DIFFICULTIES I'nitPd Pres? Assn.—F.lpp. Tpl. Copyright) NEW YORK, Dec. 8 Laymen are puzzled because motorised troops are not whipping across North Africa with the same blitzkrieg soeed that the Germans showed in Belgium, but military men never expected a fast advance if they encountered any real resistance, says the Washington correspondent of the New York Daily News. The real obstacle is logistics, a military term covering the transportation of troops and supplies. In this case it involves a job about as big as repairing the transcontinental railway while simultaneously building half a dozen fair-sized cities. The whole thing constitutes building lines of communications. The Germans already had theirs, but we had to build ours in a strange land under fire from scratch. It is necessary that we build an amazingly complicated structure, consisting of scores of warehouses, dockyards, repair shops, telegraph and telephone lines—in effect, a gigantic funnel extending hundreds o* miles through i which the army can pour hundreds of thousands of tons of food, ammunition, spare parts and incidentals. STRUGGLE IN LIBYA AIR ACTIVITY INCREASES LONDON, Dec. 9 Air activity over the El Agheila front in Libya increased remarkably today. In a big dog-fight 40 miles west of El Agheila seven Messerschmitts were shot down. The comparative lull in ground activity continues and the Germans are taking advantage of it to improve their fortifications.