INTO TUNISIA

Dominion, Volume 36, Issue 103, 26 January 1943, Page 5

INTO TUNISIA

Entry Probably Made By Advance Units ACTION AT ZUARA LONDON, January 25. Field-Marshal Rommel’s forces, still battered by the Allied planes, are hurrying northward along the east coast of Tunisia in order to link up with the other Axis forces. An officer of the Eighth Army last night told Reuter’s correspondent that German infantry had passed through Gabes, 100 miles inside Tunisia, and also it was extremely likely that some of General Montgomery's reconnaissance cars had already crossed the frontier into Tunisia.

Today’s Cairo communique states that our forces yesterday continued their advance to the west of Tripoli. On Friday night naval units attacked small enemy ships which were attempting to get out of Zuara harbour, 70 miles west of Tripoli. Dispersed enemy vehicles on the frontier, and targets in southern Tunisia, have been attacked from the air.

The main land fighting in Tunisia is still in the Ousseltiti Valley and the neighbouring mountains north-west of Kairwan. A German force yesterday was defeated at one point, the French headquarters announced, but the enemy gained a hill at another point.

Air attacks as far west as Medenin, and the gradual thinning out of the rigid targets, indicate that a considerable number of the Axis troops have reached the fortified Mareth Line, says Router's Cairo correspondent. The Eighth Army was reported yesterday to be approaching Zuara, the terminus of ihe railway west of Tripoli. It is believed that the Eighth Army’s implacable pursuit, in conjunction with the air and naval pounding of Zuara, may have resulted in Rommel having to leave some of his heavy.equipment behind in Tripolitania. According to Morocco radio yesterday, part of Rommel’s mechanized forces were in confusion on the coast road at a point CO miles west of Tripoli, Allied planes frem the First Army’s Tunisian aerodromes linked up with the Eighth Army’s fighters and bombers in concentrated attacks on the scrambling Axis columns. , Italians Out First.

A wireless commentutor says there is no doubt that Field -Marshal Rommel has withdrawn the bulk of his troops out of Tripolitania. According to correspondents at the front, he had sent most .of the Italians back first this time, though elements of many Italian units have been taking part in the lighting. Also it had been thought wbrth while to throw in some of the precious remaining armour to hold back the Eighth Army while the evacuation went on. But the streams of transpoit from Tripolitania into Tunisia have already had about the most merciless pounding in the whole history of war, and it looked from the map as if Rommel would find it difficult to make any sort of stand till be reached the Mareth line in Tunisia.

The commentator also says that there were a few armoured tussles with the enemy rearguard on Saturday, but these in fact looked much like a chase. In Tripoli itself the people are quiet and the troops entering the city found things much as had been reported by the aerial reconnaissance. The damage in the town is comparatively light, but there is considerable devastation round the harbour area.

A United States communique issued in Cairo states: "Fighters and fighterbombers of the Ninth United States Air Force, operating from a base in the vicinity of Tripoli, continued yesterday to strike the enemy withdrawing to the west. Numerous direct hits on moving transport were observed, and vehicles were set on fire by ground-strafing-. All the aircraft returned."

REDUCED TO KERNEL

(Received January 25, 7 p.m.) LONDON, January 24. “Since October 23 General Montgomery's army lias practically destroyed Ihe Afrika Korps,” says the Cairo corrbspOiideiit of “The Tiiries.” “It has inflicted 80,COO casualties on the enemy, and destroyed or captured 500 tanks, 1000 pieces of artillery, and several thousand transport vehicles. The Ai'rika Koi'ps would not have reached Libya at all if the deluge of rain early in'November had not slowed our advance.”

ANOTHER ITALIAN SUCCESS

LONDON. January 24. Home radio said today that the evacuation of Tripolitania lulu been decided on for a long time, but tins move had been kept a great secret, so as to baffle General Montgomery. It went on: "The success of this Operation is proved by the fact that the Eighth Army entered Tripoli without fighting."