STRONG AXIS FORCES

Wairarapa Times-Age, 11 May 1943, Page 3

STRONG AXIS FORCES

HELD BY EIGHTH ARMY IN MOUNTAINS NORTH OF ENFIDAVILLE. MOVEMENT TO TUNIS AREA EFFECTIVELY MASKED. (By Telegraph—Press Association— Copyright) LONDON, May 9. “The Germans’ trek to Cap Bon from the area fronting the Eighth Army, which has already been noted, will undoubtedly increase when the • French clear the Germans from the Zaghouan area, says “The Times” correspondent with the Eighth Army. “The Eighth Army hitherto has not been a mere idle spectator in the great advance with which the Allied forces swept to Tunis and then moved on to Cap Bon. “General Montgomery’s men have held and still hold a considerable number of German and Italian troops in the mountains north of Enfidaville. The enemy has moved no guns or armour and few men from these heights tp stem the First Army’s attack. i“The Eighth Army has thus tied Awn 200 Axis guns. The enemy, it is ■lieved, held a useful number of tanks to move westward, but miscalon the suddenness, swiftness of the great advance on the transfer of mobile forces of the Eighth Army to the First Army front for the big breakthrough, Reuter’s Cairo correspondent says that some of/the best-known units, including the Seventh Armoured Division and the famous Fourth Indian Division, pulled out of the line north of/Enfidaville and' moved north-west during the night to join the First Army in the next morning for an assault on Tunis. The Eighth Army gunners laid down a violent artillery curtain while the great battle convoy started out, moving nose to tail along the winding mountain roads. British night-fighters cruised overhead for hour after hour, and the British guns kept up the barrage for six hours and pinned down enemy infantrymen who were awaiting an Eighth Army attack. As dawn came over the hills of Mejez el Bab, the transferred units, who had not known their destination, were ready for instant action, and they joined in the First Army's initial thrust toward Tunis within an hour of their arrival. First into Tripoli when it was captured by General Montgomery, the 11th Hussars were among the very first to enter Tunis. The Derbyshire Yeomanry shared the honour. THE KING’S MESSAGE DEBT OF DUNKIRK BEING REPAID. . LONDON, May 9. His Majesty, in his message of congratulation to General Eisenhower, and the Allied forces, stated: “With the capture of Tunis and Bizerta your campaign is almost concluded. The last enemy forces in Africa are being captured and the debt of Dunkirk repaid.”

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