EXAMPLE FOR ANYONE

Wairarapa Times-Age, 15 April 1943, Page 4

EXAMPLE FOR ANYONE

REMARKABLE ENEMY TRIBUTE. PAID TO EIGHTH ARMY. (Received This Day, 1.22 p.m.) LONDON, April 14. "Britain’s Eighth Army is the finest fighting force in the world today. It represents the most modern and most powerful force on the different chessboards of this world war.” This remarkable tribute was heard over the Rome radio, when an announcer read an official report on the battles of the Mareth Line and Wadi Akarit. The radio announcer added: “The isfantry is perfectly trained and shows great fighting spirit, and its armament and equipment are better than any in the world. The British artillery is well provided with excellent guns, splendidly organised, and the British armoured units are among the world’s best. The Army’s leaders and staff have been carefully chosen and have proved their worth on the battlefield. Finally, the Eighth Army has about 10,000 motor vehicles and naval and air fleets at its disposal. Co-operation between the R.A.F. and the land forces can serve as an example for anyone.” The report added: "When the R.A.F. went into action on the night of March 20, there was not a square yard of the whole front that was not hit by at least one bomb.” The report revealed that the German Fifteenth Armoured Division’s strength had been reduced to one-third by the time the Mareth operations began. 1 ROMMEL’S LOSSES IN MEN AND MATERIAL. AXIS AIR FLEET BEING CUT TO PIECES. (Received This Day, 12.35 p.m.) LONDON. April 14. Since the capture of Gabes, Rommel has lost over 25,000 prisoners and several thousand killed and wounded, said the Algiers radio. It is estimated that his army has been reduced by more than one-third in men and material. Reuter’s Algiers correspondent, reviewing the position in the air, says it is estimated that the Allies have destroyed half the German fleet of Junkers 52s available in the Mediterranean, apart from the destruction in the latest raids on Castel Vetrano and Milo. Finally the enemy’s remaining airfields, huddled in a narrow space, offer the Allies ideal targets. The National Broadcasting Corporation’s Algiers correspondent says photographs show that Flying Fortresses in their attack on Castel Vetrano, destroyed 51 of 112 grounded transport planes and damaged others. They also wrecked 22 of 106 planes at Milo. Nothing in the news from Tunisia at present supports the suggestion that the Axis forces intend to stage a “Dunkirk;” On the contrary, they are still receiving reinforcements by air, though thege are subject to reduction from the Allies’ air attacks. There are certainly no signs of an Axis evacuation. The Berlin radio declared that the enemy must by now have realised that there is no sign of an Axis intention of giving up the Battle of Tunisia nor of preparing for an evacuation.