BOLD EXPLOITS

Wairarapa Times-Age, 15 December 1942, Page 4

BOLD EXPLOITS

BY ALLIED COMMANDOS BEHIND GERMAN LINES IN TUNISIA. WITHIN SIGHT OF BIZERTA. (British Official Wireless.) (Received This Day, Noon.) RUGBY, December 14. British and American commandos, landed with full battle equipment, have raided behind the German lines to a point within sight of Bizerta, reports the "Standard’s” correspondent on the Tunisian front. The commandos held up a German division and halted all enemy movements for 24 hours. They cut enemy communications, disorganised the main Bizerta airfield, launched surprise attacks with small arms against armoured equipment, and withdrew silently, with the Germans afraid to follow. One British officer, with four men armed with anti-tank rifles, held a road against eight armoured cars for some time before escaping. To reach their objectives, the commandos crossed a mountain chain from the point of disembarkation and moved like serpents through seven feet high African underbrush. The men adopted hit and run tactics in approved guerilla style. Their casualties were light. One British officer, dying from lung wounds, calmly instructed the remaining officers how to continue the operations. NAZI HEAVY TANKS MAY HAVE GONE ALREADY TO TUNISIA. (Received This Day, Noon.) LONDON, December 14. According to the Morocco radio, Rommel destroyed his fortified positions at El Agheila and left large minefields, before retreating into Tripolitania. Reuter’s military correspondent says it would not be suprising to find that Rommel’s heavy tanks have already been transferred to Tunisia, where the strength of the Axis striking force has been considerably greater than might have been expected from the landing of airborne troops only.