EARLIER ATTACKS

Wairarapa Times-Age, 22 February 1943, Page 3

EARLIER ATTACKS

NAZIS ROUGHLY HANDLED CONSIDERABLE LOSSES. EIGHTH ARMY CONTINUES GOOD PROGRESS. (By Telegraph—Press Association—Copyright) LONDON, February 20. Reporting an action in western Tunisia in which Britich forces were in action yesterday, Reuter’s correspondent in Tunisia, says that our Guards held a two-pronged German thrust toward Tebessa. The Axis forces made their first attack with tanks and infantry in a three-mile-wide gap between Jebel Charnel and Jebel Semmama, five miles north-west of Kesserine. The enemy’s first rush penetrated the Allied positions, but the defenders struck back fiercely, pressed back the German spearhead and restored the position. The second Axis force, a few miles to the north, launched an attack through a gap between Jebel Semmama and a ridge west of the Ousseltia Valley. The Guardsmen here met German tanks and infantry near Sbeiba, just inside the entrance to the pass. The Germans were roughly handled and retired after suffering considerable losses for the size of the force. A Cairo communique states: “Artillery exchanges continued yesterday in the northern sector, where our troops were in contact with the enemy in the Medenine area. In the southern sector our patrols were in contact with the enemy north of Foum Tatahouin. Dust storms prevented air activity over the battle area and also restricted offensive operations elsewhere.” The Eighth Army has captured Jerba Island, off the south Tunisian coast, possession of which safeguards our right flank from air and • sea attack from the rear. It has an airfield, which . will enable General Montgomery to raid the Tunisian coast behind the Mareth Line. Reports from Algiers yesterday said that the enemy had captured Pichon, 35 miles west of Kairwan. The French troops in the Fondouk area, south of Pichon, have withdrawn to ridges on the western side of the Ousseltia Valley. The Associated Press correspondent said that the withdrawal from Pichon indicated that the central section of the Allied front was falling back to stronger defensive positions on the western side of the valley, depriving Rommel of the opportunity of making a quick thrust to the north-west behind the ’Allied forward units. General Giraud yesterday reported that in northern Tunisia French and British troops inflicted serious losses on the enemy and captured prisoners and arms. The American armoured forces yesterday had established new lines in the mountains near the Algerian frontier. Reuter’s correspondent says that the Americans have drawn the lesson from the setback in southern Tunisia that,, if a long defensive line is to be held, it must be held in some strength. The Americans were thinly stretched over a line which was previously held by an inadequate number of ill-equipped French troops, most 'of whom were withdrawn. The situation was too tempting for Rommel to resist. The Americans had neither the time nor the numbers to arrange strong defensive positions over a line which stretched over more than half of the entire length of Tunisia. The Americans’ defence, therefore, was based on a number of moderately strong pockets with little depth. The Americans bravely tackled the German veterans, but stubborn fighting was not sufficient, and the Americans suffered heavily. According to Algiers radio yesterday, the Allied High Command is not anxious and considered it unlikely that the Axis forces will be able to penetrate deeply into the rear of the North African army. The radio added that the Allied land and air forces were intact, and the situation was well in hand. The future operations could be anticipated with confidence.