PUSHING NORTH

Wairarapa Times-Age, 15 January 1943, Page 3

PUSHING NORTH

FRENCH DESERT FORCES CAPTURES OF PRISONERS & MATERIAL. LITTLE CHANGE ON MAIN FRONTS. LONDON, January 14. In Southern Libya, Fighting’ French forces are still pushing. quickly northward and are in contact with General Jilin’s North African Headquarters. A message from 1 General Leclerc has been delivered to General Giraud? The latter states that so far the French forces have taken over 700 Axis prisoners and have captured 40 guns, 18 tanks and a large amount of other war material. The recent achievements of French troops from Chad, an earlier message states, were mentioned in a broadcast by General_.de Gaulle, who said the military epic of General Leclerc and his companions constituted an exploit which was not.less than the finest in French history. The flame which inspired these men, said de Gaulle, was quickened by the same inspiration which would one day rise from all the land of France as well as from all over martyred Europe, to bring about the vengeance of the nation and the victory of the motherland. The only news of fighting in Tunisia is from the French forces. General Juin’s troops have cleared the enemy out of a valley 18 miles northwest of Kairouan and taken control of two useful roads running to the town itself. On the northern sector the position is still unchanged and the Eighth Army has nothing to report from Tripolitania. Allied fighters destroyed one enemy fighter yesterday. Two Axis bombers were brought down during the night. Widespread attacks have been made by the R.A.F. on enemy targets in Tripolitania. At least four Messerschmitts were destroyed and a number of other Axis aircraft were damaged. Eight Allied planes are missing from extended operations. HEAVY AIR ATTACKS ON ENEMY BASES & TRANSPORT. (British Official Wireless.) (Received This Day, 9.35 a.m.) RUGBY, January 14. A Cairo communique states: “There is nothing to report from the land forces. Yesterday Allied light bombers carried out attacks on enemy forward positions. A combat developed over the target area in which our escorting fighters, assisted by return fire from bombers, destroyed at least four enemy I fighters and damaged others. Our fighters also carried out a successful low-flying attack on a landing ground. Enemy air operations wore principally defensive. “Advanced enemy landing grounds and targets on the roads near Misurata were heavily bombed on Tuesday night and extensive machine-gun attacks were made on transport and convoys in Tunisia and Tripolitania. On the same night fires and explosions were caused at Sousse and a hit was scored on a merchantman off the Tunisian coast. “From the'above extensive operations eight of our aircraft are missing.”