TUNISIAN FIGHTING

Wairarapa Times-Age, 24 February 1943, Page 4

TUNISIAN FIGHTING

ALLIES NOW CONSOLIDATING POSITIONS HEAVY DEFEAT OF GERMAN ( PANZERS. HARD CONFLICT AHEAD. (By Telegraph—Press Association—Copyright) (Received This Day, 1.20 p.m.) LONDON, February 23. British and American troops are now consolidating their positions outside Thala, which is the gateway to Tebessa. All the indications are that the Allies intend to hold on, following their heavy defeat of the German panzers. Reuter’s Algiers correspondent says: “The enemy is now held for the first time since he began his push in southern Tunisia with the capture of Faid Pass on February 1. It is felt here that the position is better than for days past but hard fighting is still ahead. The Allied success came after heavy fighting, which lasted since Friday, when the Germans began a thirty-hour bombardment, resulting in the retirement of the Americans from Kasserine Pass. The Allies have since put up a strong resistance. Light batteries tackled the formidable German Tiger tanks at almost point-blank range, as they swung around winding mountain roads. The German artillery pounded positions which the Allies had no time to fully prepare but the Axis forces up to yesterday afternoon had not advanced an inch and have taken heavy punishment. We have destroyed fourteen enemy tanks since Friday, damaged many others and inflicted heavy casualties apart from taking prisoners. The battle for Thala was fought in a defile to the north and a plateau across which the road winds from Kasserine About forty tanks of Rommel’s Twenty-first Division, which opened the advance from Faid, pushed on until they were only four miles from Thala. German artillery brought up from Kasserine Pass increased our difficulties. There was no room for an Allied withdrawal if Tebessa was to be saved' but the British armoured column, supported by American infantry and artillery commanding the road, met, mauled and halted the attackers, who are now taking heavier punishment then at anytime since February 1. Many Allied troops in this sector have practically not slept since February 19. They have been soaked with rain and are tired but cheerful. On the Kasserine-Tebessa Road the Americans held up a second German thrust which followed their double-pronged thrust on February 21. The Germans sent in forty tanks on February 22. These were stopped “cold” opposite Jebelhamra, which is a ridge running across the valley halfway between the Pass and Tebessa. American artillery and light bombers destroyed tanks and ether vehicles, forcing a German retirement to the pass with heavy enemy loss.”