FIGHTING REVIEWED

Wairarapa Times-Age, 26 February 1943, Page 3

FIGHTING REVIEWED

BY UNITED STATES WAR SECRETARY COMMENT ON TUNISIAN CAMPAIGN. POSSIBILITIES IN RUSSIA. % (By Telegraph—Press Association —Copyright) (Received This Day, 10.25 a.m.) WASHINGTON, February 25. The Secretary for War, Mr H. L. Stimson, at a Press conference, said Rommel’s forces in Central Tunisia had suffered a clean cut repulse. Nevertheless, victory would not be easy or quick. The American personnel losses were lighter than was at first believed. The material losses were heavy, including tanks, cars and field guns. However, much of the lost equipment had already been replaced. Constant air support had vitally helped successful counter-attacks but the most significant reaction came from the ground troops. They were not broken by the German advance and returned with a vigour that the Germans were unable to withstand.. General Eisenhower reports that all complacency had gone and the soldiers were thoroughly fighting mad. Mr Stimson said the greater part of the British First Army was still immobilised in the mud of Northern Tunisia but units from this army gave important assistance to the American troops in hurling back the German column advancing beyond the Kasserine Pass. In Southern Tunisia the! British Eighth Army was beginning to exert heavy pressure. Mi’ Stimson predicted very heavy fighting on the entire Tunisian front. Correcting a widespread impression that the American forces in Tunisia were green, Mr Stimson explained that they merely lacked actual combat. All were highly trained but were matched against battle hardened veterans. Mr Stimson asserted that no soldiers of any army could learn as quickly or had the same resourcefulness as the Americans. ' ' He said the steady and highly satisfactory progress of the Soviet Army continued and the Russians were now controlling virtually all railroads in the Northern Caucasus, Don and Donetz Basin. The Germans were striving to maintain their escape corridors to the Dnieper. Nevertheless, there was a strong possibility that substantial numbers of Axis troops would be cut off in the Caucasus areas. Mr Stimson said the Russians' persistent pressure in widening the Leningrad corridor might separate Finland from Germany and was possibly accounting for rumours of Finland seeking a separat peace. Referring to the torpedoing of two troopships in the North Atlantic, he said that while this emphasised the submarine menace, it also drew attention to the magnificent performance of the Navy in convoying a million and a half troops overseas to all parts of the world with the loss of relatively few. In China there were signs of increasing Japanese activity. America, vyas gradually building up her airstrength in China and was adding to transport planes flying supplies to China. In the South Pacific, Allied airmen were taking a heavy toll of enemy shipping. The ground forces were relatively inactive.