MOVE INTO TUNISIA

Wairarapa Times-Age, 12 February 1943, Page 3

MOVE INTO TUNISIA

4 EIGHTH ARMY ON ITS WAY 25 iMILES BEYOND BORDER PUNISHING AIR ATTACKS CONTINUED. ON AXIS SHIPPING & BASES. LONDON. February 11. Units of the British Eighth Army were in contact with the Afrika Korps yesterday east of Ben Gardane, which is 25 miles west of the Tunisian border. In the southern sector armoured car'patrols harassed the enemy. The weather restricted air activity. Allied aircraft have made more raids on Axis land and sea communications in the Tunisian area. They sent one small troopship to the bottom and left another sinking. Allied bombers have again attacked targets in Sicily and Malta-based fighter-bombers also raided railways in Sicily, while heavy bombers attacked Palermo Harbour. Today’s communique from Allied Headquarters in North Africa reports only patrol activity by the First Army. HEAVY CALL ON NAZI FIGHTER PLANES. MADE IN NORTH AFRICA. * (British Official Wireless.) RUGBY, February 10.

The Allied air forces in North Africa are engaging one-fifth of Germany’s single-seater fighters, as well as the Italians, said a Royal Air Force commentator today. The concentration of the Axis air strength shewed the importance the Germans attached to Tunisia. Allied air strength in that theatre was sufficient for requirements, and the Allied air sorties were double those of the enemy, who was exposed to additional attacks from Malta and Tripoli. Our air superiority in Tunisia was likely to be demonstrated as it was at Alamein and Tripoli. The R.A.F. activities over France were holding down half the German fighter strength, and the operations of the Allies had greatly reduced the German fighter strength on the Russian front.

Sir Archibald Sinclair, replying to a question in the House of Commons, said that the question of supplying sufficient fighter aircraft to North Africa to gain ascendancy in the air had been fully taken, into account. The suitability of the Allied fighters was shown by the records; in the first three months the Axis lost 607 aircraft, and the Allies 250.