POINTED COMMENT

Wairarapa Times-Age, 10 March 1943, Page 3

POINTED COMMENT

ON LATEST AXIS EFFORT RAT THAT FAILED TO BITE. AND GOT BITTEN INSTEAD. (British Official Wireless.) (Received This Day, 9.32 a.m.) RUGBY, March 9. A Middle East communique states , that on Sunday' night at least one en- "' emy raider was shot down during an attack on Tripoli. Only slight damage resulted. There were some casualties among the civilian population. “Yet another encounter in the long duel between the Eighth Army and Rommel has ended in British favour,” a commentator observes. “A rat which went to ground at Mareth tried to bite a terrier, but failed and itself got bitten.” Some fighting goes on at Sedjenane, but it seems that the First Army now in general has turned to counter-attack, and the situation is stable along the front south-east to Medjez El Bab, and thence due south to Pichon, beyond which the Allies .are still on the move. The loss of tanks along the whole front in the enemy’s attacks from Sedjerane to Mareth is considered to have seriously weakened his power of offence, if not of defence. “TIGERS” OUTMATCHED BY BRITISH CHURCHILL TANKS. (By Telegraph—Press Association —Copyright) LONDON, March 8. The “Daily Telegraph’s” correspondent with the First Army says, “Tank for tank, our Churchills proved a match during the Axis offensive for the boosted new German Mark Vi’s, or ‘Tigers,’ which do not appear to make their scheduled speed. Our gunners say that they find them easy targets. “Another encouraging feature is that our artillery fire was heavier than anything the enemy has put up. All reports from prisoners confirm that the concentrated fire from our light and medium field-guns has been one of the primary factors in preventing the Axis forces from exploiting their original successes. “However, the Germans hold an advantage in the use of mortars and heavy machine-guns, and more of these and fewer Bren-guns would have benefited us in the latest battles.”