STAGE SET

Wairarapa Times-Age, 23 February 1943, Page 3

STAGE SET

FOR FINAL ASSAULT AGAINST MARETH LINE CAPTURED WAR MATERIAL. VAST QUANTITIES BEING REISSUED. (By Telegraph—Press Association—Copyright) LONDON, February 21. With the Allied forces poised at Medemine. Feum Tatahouin, and Ben Gardane, the stage is set for an assault against the Mareth Line itself, state correspondents in Tunisia. Berlin radio, describing the Allied action against Medenine,) said: “Strong British tank units under cover of morning mist, advanced despite a blinding sandstorm.” A Cairo message, after reporting that Medenine was. occupied yesterday, says that we pursued the enemy northwestward all day. Reuter’s Cairo correspondent says the Axis forces at Medenine offered a stiffer resistance than was put up recently at any other point. The Eighth Army advanced in sight of Medenine on February 17,. but the final clean-up was not completed till yesterday after a lively artillery duel. The reports of the occupation of Jerba Island are believed in Cairo to be false. It is known definitely that up to 8 p.m. yesterday Jerba was not occupied. Vast quantities of material which Field-Marshal Rommel left in Egypt t Libya and Tripolitania are being repaired and reissued for use against him in Tunisia, says the “Daily Mail.” There is every type of heavy gun, some worth £5OOO, many of which have never been fired. The guns are being reissued at the rate of £lOO.OOO a week. “FIGHTING COCKS” J ALL-EMPIRE SQUADRON. ARRIVAL IN NORTH AFRICA. LONDON, February 22. The “Fighting Cocks,” and all-Em-pire Hurricane squadron, have established such a reputation over the Mediterranean area that the Luftwaffe refuse to engage it, says the Air Ministry News Service. The “ Fighting Cocks” include New Zealanders, Australians and Canadians. It is the first Allied squadron to arrive in North Africa, and it touched down at Maison Blanche shortly after the capture •of the airfield. The squadron has flown 1000 hours on sea convoy patrols, in which not a single Allied ship has been lost. It has shot down more than 130 enemy planes. The “Fighting Cocks” were prominent in the Battle of Britain.