BECOMING EXHAUSTED

Wairarapa Times-Age, 23 February 1943, Page 4

BECOMING EXHAUSTED

ROMMEL’S PANZER FORCES STUBBORN FIGHTING. ALLIES HAVE SITUATION IN HAND. (By Telegraph—Press Association— Copyright) (Received This Day, 12.5 p.m.) LONDON, February 22. Rommel’s panzer forces pushed within four miles of the Thala line late in the afternoon but according to an observer they are now showing signs of exhaustion and the American and British forces appear to have the situation in hand. Thala is the gateway to a large plateau where tanks are able to spread out in a dozen directions over perfect tank country. Tebessa is in an exposed position on the plateau and is a junction of four main roads and two railways. The Allies will make every effort to keep the Germans from Thala and Tebessa. The “Daily Express” correspondent at Algiers says that Rommel has widened the wedge between the first and eighth armies to 100 miles. The enemy now holds more than half of Tunisia. The correspondent adds: Rommel’s patrols have probably already crossed into Algeria. Another correspondent says that Rommel’s panzer units have thrust through the Kasserine gap towards Thala, after the Americans drove two other tank thrusts for Tebessa back with heavy losses to the mouth of the gap. The British and American forces knocked out fourteen German tanks in heavy fighting which raged all yesterday and also under a bright moon all last night. One German column of more than seventy tanks continued to within eight miles of Thala where a British tank' force engaged it in a violent battle which lasted until morning.