25 AXIS PLANES

Wairarapa Times-Age, 6 February 1943, Page 3

25 AXIS PLANES

SHOT DOWN IN TUNISIA

ATTACK ON ENEMY AERODROME FIVE AMERICAN BOMBERS LOST. ADVANCE OF THE EIGHTH ARMY. LONDON, February 5. Plenty of action in the air is reported from North Africa. Flying Fortress and Lightnings attacked an enemy aerodrome near Gabes. Clashes occurred with strong forces of German fighters and a. series of dog fights took place over an area of fifty miles. Twenty-five enemy planes were shot down. One Fortress and four Lightnings were lost. On the borders of Tunisia, Eighth Army patrols are still keeping in touch with the enemy rearguards all along the front. A 8.8. C. commentator states that it is pretty certain that before many days the Eighth Army will be well over the frontier all along the line, when the conquest of Italy’s African Empire will be complete. There is no change in the land fighting in Tunisia, according to a communique from North Africa. HAMMER AND ANVIL ALLIED BATTLE PLANS IN TUNISIA. ANTICIPATIONS IN LONDON. (By Telegraph—Press Association—Copyright) LONDON, February 4. That the position in Tunis is fundamentally sound and that much depends on the advance of the Eighth Army, with its highly trained troops and equipment are (views commonly held in London. During the present weather conditions the British and Americans are engaged in building up air-power and taking a heavy toll of shipping in the Sicilian Straits. It is generally expected that when the fight for Tunis begns it will be accompanied by the biggest air battles since the Battle for Britain and that the side which secures air superiority will .win the campaign. The British and Americans will, in addition to aircraft at Tunis, also have the air power supporting the Eighth Army and the force operating from Malta, and will be opposed by the Luftwaffe from Tunis, Bizerta and Sicily. The “Daily Telegraph" correspondent at Tunis, referring to attacks made by American aircraft, which have hit 54 Axis ships l since November 8, says that some proportion of the weight of American bomber production is now being brought to bear against the Axis in North Africa, but it is but a drop in the bucket compared with the forces I have seen on American airfields hundreds of miles behind the front, being slowly but inexorably built up for the final punch for Tunis and Bizerta.” The Americans' are leaving fighter activities to the R.A.F. so far, but the hitting power of their squadrons already in operation is impressive and its punishing power is growing daily as an endless stream of medium and heavy bombers crosses the Atlantic. The Germans have put their best fighters into Tunis, the Fockewulf 190, which every fighter pilot in Britain respects, and the Messerschmitt 109 F. They are said to be faster than any Allied aeroplane which has yet appeared in Tunisia. Onef view is that the Eighth Army will be used Jin Tunisia as a hammer and the First Army as an anvil against the Germans. “The Times” military observer says: “The Allies are favourably placed, Ibut tactically, or. the battlefield itself, it will be a hard task to achieve success. Only the best material and tactics will suffice. The enemy in Tunis' cannot be beaten by manoeuvre alone. He can, in fact, manoeuvre more quickly in the plain behind the passes which he holds than we Jean in the hills. But he can be beaten by the methods of El Alamein when sufficient forces have been brought to bear against him-” CONTINUED AIR ATTACKS ON SMALL ENEMY SHIPS. OFF THE TUNISIAN COAST. (British Official Wireless.) (Received This Day, 9.35 a.m.) RUGBY, February 5. A Middle East communique states: “Yesterday our patrol activities were continued in the Tunisian border area. Allied fighterbombers continued their attacks on enemy small shipping on the Tunisian coast. Palermo was bombed on the night of February 3. Fires were caused. All our aircraft returned from the above operations. SMASHING BLOWS AT ENEMY TUNISIAN PORTS. ONLY TUNIS & BIZERTA IN USE. (Received This Day, 10.38 ajn.) LONDON, February 5. Advanced troops of the Eighth Army have now joined up with Americans in Tunisia, says the Morocco radio and the bulk of the Eighth Army is now across the Tunisian frontier. The same source reports that heavy aerial battel’ing has completely put 'out of action the ports I of Sfax, Sousse and Gabes. The Axis thus can only use Tunis and Bizerta. American raiders shot down 25 enemy planes and damaged 26, for the loss of ten, in smashing raids against aerodromes in the Gabes area. Flying Fortresses shot down 24 enemy aircraft in a running fight for a distance of 50 miles. . », • An official spokesman m Algiers announced that American armoured forces had withdrawn from Sened railway station after accomplishing their purpose.