ALLIED ADVANCE

Wairarapa Times-Age, 20 March 1943, Page 3

ALLIED ADVANCE

THROUGH MUD & RAIN THREAT TO COASTAL CORRIDOR. THROUGH WHICH ENEMY SUPPLIES MUST PASS. (British Official Wireless.) (Received This Day, 11.30 a.m.) RUGBY, March 19. “‘On the southern Tunisian front, down in the Mareth area and to the east of Gafsa, advanced patrols pushed ahead yesterday through mud and rain, and did not meet with much interference from the enemy,” says a wireless commentator attached to the Allied force headquarters. “El Guetar, now occupied by American troops, is 12 miles east of Gafsa and little more than 70 miles from Gabes, south of which Rommel already ■has his hands full preparing to meet the Eighth Army. Thus every mile gained by the Americans means that the enemy corridor along the coast is getting that much narrower. And through that corridor all the enemy’s supplies must pass. The main handicap on our operations is bad weather. Besides picking up mines and clearing booby traps, the Americans have had to content with rain and floods. “Air operations yesterday included a few fighter sweeps and two bombing attacks, including one fairly good one against Axis transport near Mareth.’’ ATTACKS ON NAPLES MADE BY AMERICAN HEAVY BOMBERS. " / IN DAYLIGHT AND AGAIN AT NIGHT. (British Official Wireless.) (Received This Day, 9.45 a.m.) RUGBY, March 19. Liberators of the Ninth United States Air Force attacked Naples Harbour in daylight yesterday and again during the hours of darkness, says a Cairo message. Results were not observed owing to solid cloud over the target. ENEMY PLANES FOUR SHOT DOWN DURING RAID ON TRIPOLI. (British Official Wireless.) (Received This Day, 9.45 a.m.) RUGBY, March 19. A Middle East air communique states: “It is now known that, in addition to a Junkers 88 shot down \ by our night fighters during an attack on Tripoli on Tuesday night, three more enemy raiders were destroyed by the ground defences.” SOME AIR ACTIVITY IN SPITE OF BAD WEATHER. (British Official Wireless.) (Received This Day, 9'.45 a.m.) RUGBY, March 19. A North Africa communique reports that the weather has generally restricted air activity in Tunisia, but that fighter-bombers attacked targets on the northern front, starting a fire in an enemy-occupied building. The Western Desert Air Force has continued its bombing attacks on the Mareth positions. None of our aircraft are missing. CRACK POLISH PILOTS SERVING ..IN TUNISIA. (British Official Wireless.) (Received This Day, 11.35 a.m.) RUGBY: March 19. A number of crack Polish fighter pilots are among recent reinforcements of the R.A.F. in Tunisia, says a Cairo message. They include representatives of nearly every Polish fighter squadron in existence at the time Poland was invaded and many members of one combat team took part in the Battle of Britain.