PROCEEDING APACE

Wairarapa Times-Age, 16 December 1942, Page 3

PROCEEDING APACE

ADVANCE OF THE EIGHTH ARMY INTO TRIPOLITANIA Weak Enemy Rearguards Brushed Aside TREMENDOUS AIR ATTACKS ON TUNISIAN HARBOURS SHIPS AND OIL INSTALLATIONS SET ABLAZE LONDON, December 15. Mobile columns of the British Eighth Army continue to chase the retreating Axis forces along the road to Tripoli. It is not known exactly how far they have advanced. An American radio commentator says the enemy is already beyond Marble Arch, which is 40 miles west of El Agheila. Tanks, troops and transport are being harassed incessantly by Allied aircraft. The enemy is fighting weak rearguard actions with detachments which are being easily brushed aside. Masses of mines jand booby traps are hindering the advance of the main British forces Enemy air activity is very slight. Allied fighter-bombers are punishing the retreating Axis forces almost without opposition. Yesterday, although they did not equal the record number of sorties of Sunday, they gave the enemy no rest, bombing and machine-gunning the coastal road all day long, destroying scores of enemy vehicles and blowing up ammunition dumps. In Tunisia there is no change on the battlefront. An Allied Headquarters communique states that Allied aircraft have resumed violent attacks on Axis docks, shipping, communications and supplies. The railway station at Sfax was attacked and two great fires were started. No Axis aircraft was encountered and all the Allied planes returned. On Sunday night the harbours at Tunis and La Goulette were bombed in the longest and most successful raid yet undertaken by Allied aircraft in North Africa. The harbours were heavily bombed for four hours. Three ships were set on fire, oil installations were blown up and enormous fires were started which could be seen 100 miles away. The British Minister of State in the Middle East (Mr R. G. Casey) said that when the battle of El Alamein was being planned, preparations were made for a British advance of 1500 miles. At least 10,000 women were now in war service in the Middle East, Mr Casey stated, 8,000 of them in uniform. Most of them came from the United Kingdom.