CEASE FIGHTING

Wairarapa Times-Age, 14 May 1943, Page 4

CEASE FIGHTING

ORDER TO FIRST ITALIAN ARMY LAST RESISTING AXIS FORCE. IN TUNISIAN CAMPAIGN. (By Telegraph—Press Association—Copyright) (Received This Day, 10.40 a.m.) LONDON, May 13. An Italian communique states: “The First Italian Army, which had the honour to be the last resisting Axis force (in Tunisia), this morning ceased fighting on the order of the Duce.” ' RUSH TO SURRENDER ‘wholesale axis collapse, CORRESPONDENT GIVES DETAILS. (British Official Wireless.) **• (Received This Day, 10.20 a.m.) RUGBY, May 13. A correspondent at Cape Bon, describing .the wholesale collapse of the ea'emy and the rush to surrender, says: “Tens of thousands of Germans' and Italians were streaming in from every direction to give themselves up. The roads were choked with them long columns on foot, staff officers in their own cars, endless lines of enemy trucks, mostly German-made, crammed with men, and with men even perched ■on wings, bonnet and roof, driven by their own drivers. There were ambulances, scout cars and armoured cars all packed with prisoners, and Axis troops sitting tight together on the barrels of their field guns and gun carriages as they were towed back towards Tunis. I even saw three men coming in sitting astride one motorcycle. All along the road it was the same story, everywhere German and Italian officers surrendering and asking where they could send their men/’ The correspondent added that the Axis abandoned millions of pounds worth of equipment. Within 100 yards the correspondent could see about 30 vehicles, also wireless sets, typewriters and actually a mobile X-ray equipment. There are stacks of weapons, ammunition, camp equipment and complete field workshops. WELL GUARDED GREAT VOLUME OF ALLIED SHIPPING. HEAVY ENEMY LOSSES. (Received This Day, 12.45 p.m.) LONDON, May 13. The North African campaign has cost the Allies little from a shipping viewpoint, says the British United Press correspondent at Allied headquarters. <)ver 11,000,000 gross tons of Allied znerchant shipping carrying men and supplies from England and America entered North African ports between November 8 and May 8. As the traffic went both ways the tonnage actually escorted was over 22 million tons, of which we lost only about 237,600 tons as a result of enemy action. About 390 ocean-going Allied ships disembarked men and one million tons of cargo between November and May at one port alone (the number of men cannot be stated). A naval spokesman said Allied submarines sank over forty .- large and medium ships and 39 smaller ones. Light naval forces in April sank two large destroyers, six merchantmen, two E-boats, two mine-sweepers and two lighters, besides other ships damaged.