AIR SUPERIORITY

Wairarapa Times-Age, 24 March 1943, Page 3

AIR SUPERIORITY

ESTABLISHED BY ALLIES OVER FIGHTING AREAS. ’ ' I WEATHER GIVES SIGNAL FOR ACTION. (By Telegraph—Press Association—Copyright) LONDON, March 23. “One part of the battle for the Mareth Line is already clearly won —the Allies have gained air superiority over the fighting area," says the “Daily Express” military writer. “The total number of Allied aircraft being used is the largest ever assembled on our side over a battlefield. There are 10 nationalities among the Allied airmen.” The weather was the signal foi’ the Eighth Army offensive, states a corres J pondent at the Allied headquarters. With sunshine replacing the rain of the previous days, General Montgomery launched the attack on the left flank of the Mareth Line. As in all previous attacks, the Eighth Army commander chose a rather short front—only the six miles of soft wet sands separating the little village of Mareth and the seashore. But these six miles had been abundantly sown with mines and all kinds of obstacles. Our troops encountered stern opposition but managed to reach their objective. GRUDGING ADMISSIONS MADE BY THE GERMANS. LONDON, March 22. Today’s German communique says that strong Anglo-American forces are attacking the Italian positions in central and south Tunisia and that heavy ground and air battles are going on. The Italian communique says that the enemy on Sunday, after intense artillery preparation, began a violent offensive in central and southern Tunisia

and fierce fighting is in progress. The Berlin radio claimed the Italians and Germans had repulsed General Montgomery’s frontal attack. The Berlin radio later* admitted thati the Axis forward units at some points in the Mareth area avoided prolonged contact with the British “so as to be able to engage the enemy under more favourable conditions.” Referrihg to the attack on the Mareth Line, the Berlin radio referred to British and American coastal units, but it is not known in London whether any Americans are there.