CONTINUED PROGRESS

Wairarapa Times-Age, 29 April 1943, Page 3

CONTINUED PROGRESS

ALONG THE WHOLE FRONT IN TUNISIA In Face of Desperate Resistance ALLIED FORCES WITHIN 21 MILES OF TUNIS AIRCRAFT POUNDING ENEMY IN BATTLE AREAS AND DISTANT BASES LONDON, April 28. British, French and American troops are pushing ahead all along the front in Tunisia in face of desperate Axis resistance. On the north coast, French Moroccan troops have edged a bit nearer to Bizerta. The Americans have taken four important heights a dozen miles from Mateur. British First Army infantry, advancing in the Medjez el Bab area, have got to within 21 miles of Tunis. Further south, British tanks have forced their way to within a few miles of Pont du Fahs. General Montgomery’s Eighth Army has pushed on two or three miles through the mountains on the inland flank. , - . Tonight’s French communique states that General Giraud’s troops have continued their advance in the Pont du Fahs area, in spite of a violent enemy barrage. South-past of Pont du Fahs, they have reached a point within a few miles of the main road from Pont du Fahs to the coast. They have advanced on a front several miles wide and gained a footingin the mountains to the east of Pont du Fahs. Among the prisoners taken by the French is the Chaplain-General of the Italian forces in North Africa. A correspondent with the First Army states that British tanks have been in some dour fighting and that progress has not been spectacular. They are doing all they set out to do, engaging the enemy armour and destroying it In the Medjez el Bab sector yesterday the Germans used flame-throwing tanks for the first time. It was in this area that British infantry charged to within 400 yards of the crest of a hill and not far away took more high ground, but had to fall back after the enemy had counter-attacked with tank support. American bombers, supported by British Spitfires, flew in relays over the battle area near Medjez el Bab for four hours, attacking guns, tanks and troops. Flying Fortresses attacked an airfield in Sardinia and another big Axis airfield, at Bari, in Italy, was again raided. In this attack heavy bombers from the Middle East added to the damage done earlier by American Liberators. A correspondent of the ‘‘Manchester Guardian says it looks as if the enemy means to fight it out where he is rather than deaden the force of our attack by a retreat to the defences farther in the rear. The morale of the prisoners who have been taken is good. The Germans are fighting on without hope and without fear. '