FIRM INTENTION

Wairarapa Times-Age, 16 April 1943, Page 3

FIRM INTENTION

OF ANNIHILATING GERMAN ' ARMY DECLARED BY GENERAL EISENHOWER. PRESENT BATTLE AREAS DEFINED. (By Telegraph—Press Association —Copyright) Z LONDON, April 15. The latest reports from the Tunisian front suggest that Rommel's resistance is stiffening now that his troops have reached the high ground barring the way to Tunis and Bizerta. General Alexander’s forces are massed on a 150-mile line in the shape of a crescent facing the ridges of hills dominated by the enemy strongpoints of Mateur, Tebourba and Pont du Fans (30 miles east of Zaghouan). “Every soldier and every commander, British French or American, has the firm intention of annihilating the German army in Tunisia,” said the Allied commander-in-chief, General Eisenhower, at a Press conference. “Rommel is doing everything he can to hinder the Allied advance, and he will continue to try to slow us up for as long as possible, but the Allied armies are progressing according to plan.” The First Army is advancing in the face of stiff resistance along the railway some 35 miles south-west of Mateur. In the centre French troops are about 10 miles from Pont du Fahs, and in the south the Eighth Army spearhead was last reported west of Enfidaville. ENEMY PLANE SHOT DOWN BY TANK. (British Official Wireless.) RUGBY, April 14. During the fighting in northern Tunisia a British tank, using a ma-chine-gun, shot down an enemy fight-er-bomber in flames, according to a war correspondent at Beja, who says that this is believed to be the first time such an event has happened. WAR OF IDEAS WAGED AGAINST GERMANS IN AFRICA. AMERICAN PROPAGANDA ORGANISATION. WASHINGTON, April 15. The United States Army has organised a psychological warfare department to help win victory in North Africa. Announcing this, the Director of the Office of War Information, Mr Elmer Davis, said that 35 of a scheduled 300 specialists went to Africa. The work of the corps was principally directed against front-line enemy troops and people just behind the front line. The work covered radio news and movie propaganda. Germans recently surrendered after pamphlets prepared by the corps had been dropped behind the Nazi lines. Members of the corps were uniformed similar to war correspondents and were paid 2600 to 6500 dollars a year. LEAVE FOR TROOPS AFTER CLEARING OF NORTH AFRICA. DIFFICULTIES EMPHASISED BY MR CHURCHILL. (British Official Wireless.) (Received This Day, 9.50 a.m.) RUGBY, April 15. The Prime Minister, Mr Churchill, was asked in the House of Commons if, after a satisfactory clearing up of enemy forces in North Africa, he would consider granting leave to those who had seen active service abroad and had not had leave for an extended period. Mr Churchill replied that, while everyone sympathised with the member’s object, it was unlikely that the military operations or the shipping available would enable any early change to be made in existing arrange- . ments.