“HELIFIRE CREEK”

Wairarapa Times-Age, 27 March 1943, Page 3

“HELIFIRE CREEK”

NEW NAME FOR WADI ON MARETH LINE BITTER STRUGGLE GOING ON. NO NEED FOR PESSIMISM SEEN. (By Telegraph—Press Association—Copyright) (Received This Day, 10.35 a.m.) LONDON, March 26. “There is no need for pessimism,’’ is the general opinion regarding the battle for .the Mareth Line. The struggle for this line is for a passage over the Wadi Zigzau—“Hellfire Creek” as the troops call it. There some of the bitterest fighting of the war is going on. The wadi is virtually a no-man’s land, separating both armies and preventing their moving forward. In face of continuous fire, the Eighth Army was unable to send, over sufficient material to consolidate the positions which the infantry had won. Rommel counterattacked, but could go no further than the wadi. General Montgomery is regrouping hid forces preparatory to the next phase. In the meantime, news of land fighting in this area is limited to artillery duels, but in the air low-flying aircraft, escorted by fighters, have been sweeping over the battlefield and Hurricane “tank busters” have been shooting up panzer units south of El Hamma. The Western Desert and Tunisian air forces have also intensely bombed the Mareth area. General Patton has made an important advance and he now occupies all the high ground between Maknassi and the sea, overlooking Rommel’s line of retreat. ...” j The “Daily Express” military correspondent expresses the opinion that the Allied forces arc dealing with Rommel in detail. The ideal of any army commander, the correspondent says, is to encompass his enemy s defeat, but it may be some days before attrition has progressed sufficiently for the Allies to close round Rommel for the kill. Rommel has strong defence points behind his main position, all of which will have to be contested bitterly. ENEMY CLAIMS BROADCAST BY PARIS RADIO. ALGIERS TELLS ANOTHER STORY. (Received This Day, Noon.) LONDON, March 26. The Paris radio, also claiming to have the latest information reported: “No large-scale operations in the eastern sector, of the Mareth Line. Both sides report only violent artillery fire. The Americans in the Maknassi and El Guetar sectors advanced somewhat, but the Germans are counter-attack-ing.” The radio later claimed that the Americans in the Maknassi sector had been driven from a line captured at great cost and also that the Germans had wiped out an American column cut off from communications in the El Guetar area. The Morocco radio said: _ The Mareth battle is becoming fiercer, with bitter hand to hand fighting and also violent artillery duels." Thd Algiers radio asserted that Axis coun-ter-attacks in the El Hamma region had been smashed and that the British had completely occupied the Djebel Tebarga height, dominating the entire plain between Gabes and the Shott el Jerid. The British are now eight miles from El Hamma, which the Germans 'are fiercely defending. The radio said violent battles were raging in the Maknassi and El Guetar areas. The Americans, after repulsing all counter-attacks, kept up their progress and are now reported to be seven miles east of Maknassi, where the road runs, down into the plain towards the sea. Violent fighting is going on before German fortified positions, while the Italians and Germans are throwing wave after wave of tanks and infantry against the salient General Montgomery has driven into their hnes. The Algiers radio tonight stated: The Eighth Army is developing its offensive, despite the enemy reaction, and on the sixth day of the Eighth Army’s offensive results continue to be satisfactory to General Montgomery. On land and in the air he is ceaselessly harassing the enemy. Our troops m several places have made appreciable gams, which have been consolidated. Rommel is defending himself stubbornly. He has coun-ter-attacked frequently, but has been unable to obtain a decision.” FLANKING THREAT PERCEIVED BY GERMANS. LONDON, March 25. The German High. Command says: “The impression is growing that Montgomery is withdrawing many of his troops from the eastern flank ot the Mareth Line for the purpose of filling the ranks of those formations which are pushing north of the Shott el Jerid The British force here consist of two tank divisions, an Indian infantry division, and other supporting forces. ATTACK ON MESSINA MADE WITHOUT LOSS OF ALLIED BOMBERS. (British Official Wireless.) (Received This Day, 10 a.m.) RUGBY, March 26. An attack on Messina, made by heavy bombers without loss, is reported by a Middle East air communique. Bursts were seen on the harbour, a power station, and south of the ferry terminus.