BIG HAUL OF PRISONERS
TAKEN BY THE ALLIES IN TUNISIA With Many More to Follow LAST ORGANISED ENEMY RESISTANCE ON CAPE BON PENINSULA TREMENDOUS AIR ATTACK ON PALERMO LONDON, May 9. At least 50,000 Axis prisoners have been taken by the Allies in Tunisia since Friday. More than 400 Allied V aircraft made a daylight attack on Palermo today. British warships shelled the east coast of the Cape Bon Peninsula, now the last centre of organised enemy resistance in Tunisia. * . . Axis defences and pockets of resistance in Tunisia are rapidly crumbling’ under the weight of the Allied assault by land and air. Prisoners are coming in from all directions in considerable numbers. A special communique from Allied Headquarters states that since Friday at least 50,000 prisoners have been captured. The Second United States Corps has completed mopping-up m the area round Bizerta, where organised resistance has ceased. Three German divisional commanders and their staffs have been captured. The commander and remnants of the 15th German Panzer Division surrendered to their old enemies, the Seventh British Armoured Division. Heavy fighting’ is still proceeding north of Zaghouan and at another place. No enemy aircraft have lately been seen over Tunisia and the German air force appears to have withdrawn from the battle. The official news that 50,000 prisoners had been taken since Friday, followed a few hours after General Eisenhower s communique giving a figure of at least 20,000 since Wednesday. The latest total indicates how successful the Allies ’ mopping-up operations have been. An earlier message stated that 5000 Germans surrendered unconditionally this morning in Bizerta, after a vain attempt at evacuation. _ > A special communique states that light naval forces shelled Axis positions near Cape Bon. During the past few nights naval forces have been active in the Sicilian Straits, the Gulf of Tunis and east coast of Cape Bon Peninsula. They have orders to sink all enemy ships. Early this morning two enemy merchant ships were sunk, one of medium size. Enemy positions on the east coast of the peninsula were shelled by naval forces during last night and early this morning. There is no indication at present that the enemy will attempt to get away any large force by sea. , . . „ / Hemmed in by land and from the sea, the Axis forces are ’ still taking a terrific hammering from the Allied air forces. J.. Today, heavy air attacks were made on enemy troop concentra- ' tions and transport. Enemy vehicles were left in flames and a number of aircraft were destroyed on the ground. Ships round - the coast of the peninsula also came in for a heavy strafing. Direct hits were scored on several ships. Allied Air Headquarters announces the heaviest bombing raid ever carried out from North Africa, made in daylight against Palermo. More than 400 planes took part. Some of the famous fighting units of the Eighth Army, which had made a rapid transfer from the southern to the central front in Tunisia, took part in the drive on Tunis. . The British Eleventh Hussars raced with a i irst Army mechanised formation for the honour of being first to enter the city. Another message states that the Indian Fourth Division, which has a splendid record of victorious fighting in the African campaigns, also took part in the drive on Tunis.
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Wairarapa Times-Age, 10 May 1943, Page 3
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550BIG HAUL OF PRISONERS Wairarapa Times-Age, 10 May 1943, Page 3
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