ENEMY STRENGTH

Wairarapa Times-Age, 19 February 1943, Page 3

ENEMY STRENGTH

QUARTER OF A MILLION MEN DISPOSITION OF AXIS FORCES. POSSIBLE THREAT TO FRONTIER JUNCTION. (British Official Wireless.) (Received This Day, 10 a.m.) RUGBY, February 18. While the Eighth Army moves toL wards the Mareth Line and the Gabes < v gap, Allied forward troops between the salt lake district and Sbeitla have been forced back towards the Algerian frontier, by a strong German tank drive of about 75 miles. It is thought that the enemy, besides widening the corridor behind Rommel’s army west of the Gulf of Gabes, may aim at threatening Allied positions further north, by a drive towards the important Algerian frontier junction at Tebessa, 40 miles north-west of Feriana, Rommel seems to have left Tripoli with about 130,000 men, of whom 60,000 are Germans and 70,000 Italians, and probably less than 100 tanks. The Twenty-first German Armoured Division appears to have been sent to Sfax, where it has been reinforced with new tanks from Italy. These, with some others, are presumably being used against the Americans in the southern sector. In the northern sector there are presumably about 120,000 enemy troops, making a total of 250,000. These figures were given by Mr Churchill. FORCES ASSEMBLING BERLIN REPORT ON PRESENT OPERATIONS. LONDON, February 17. Berlin radio’s military spokesman said, “The operations in Tunisia cannot yet be regarded as a prelude to decisive battles.” The Allies and the Axs were at present assembling their forces, he said. Local operations were going on in the Gafsa area. A spokesman at the Allied headquarters in London declared that the German report of the number of American casualties in the action near Gafsa was a gross exaggeration. Berlin radio said that Rommel’s rearguards on Monday night withdrew to the Mareth Line accordng to plan, unhampered by the British, and that it was not till Tuesday that the Eighth Army’s advance forces followed the Axis movements, because the British had to overcome thickly-sown mines and other obstacles. The radio added, “We have observed that British divisions, which so far had been distributed in greath depth, are now closing up nearer the front. RAID ON SARDINIA’ ENEMY AIRFIELDS ATTACKED. EACH SIDE LOSE FIVE PLANES. (British Official Wireless.) (Received This Day, 10.0 a.m.) RUGBY, February 18. North African medium bombers attacked enemy airfields in Sardinia, a communique states. At one aerodrome bombs burst close to a number of grounded aircraft. Four enemy fighters and one Italian seaplane were shot down by bombers and a fighter escort. Five of our planes are missing. Last night a few enemy aircraft dropped bombs in the Algiers area causing a small number of casualties and some damage to buildings. GREAT DAMAGE IN RAID ON CAGLIARI. HUNDRED PEOPLE KILLED. (Received This Day, 10.15 a.m.) LONDON, February 18. An Italian communique says United States bombers, in a raid on Cagliari yesterday, caused great damage.. Progress reports show that 100 persons were killed and 235 injured,