REARGUARD ACTION

Wairarapa Times-Age, 2 April 1943, Page 3

REARGUARD ACTION

EXPECTED NORTH-WEST OF GABES WADI OCCUPIED BY AXIS. OPERATIONS OF FRENCH TROOPS (British Official Wireless.) (Received This Day, 9.45 a.m.) RUGBY, April 1. North African despatches indicate that the enemy is likely to fight a rearguard action on the Wadi El Akarit, eight miles north-north-west of,Oudref. Here the defenders have one flank resting on the sea and the other on the eastern end of Shott El Fejai. They also have the advantage of occupying hills north-west of Oudref which rise to 800 feet, overlooking the plain to the south and south-east. French troops operating north and south of the Shott El Jerid cleared a road running north across the Shott from Kebili. Those advancing through Tozeur and Metlaoui last month compelled the Italian garrison to evacuate Kebil and cross the Shott and meanwhile to fight hard to keep an open, road. Finally camel troops, coming from Douz, entered Kebili two days ago, driving out the Italian rearguard. In South Tunisia yesterday light bombers attacked Mezzouna, where at one time fifty fires were burning in one mile of the road. The Desert Air Force light bombers, which up to now had been sharing the task of troops on the battlefield, returned to their old job yesterday, when they attacked an aerodrome at El Maou, near Sfax, and left sevral fires, including five enemy aircraft ablaze.