Evening star., 1942-12-13

ecsHleHtS Ol lne AXIS army. On the
ways Of American shipyards were
launched mighty battleship, two air
craft carriers, cruiser and a destroyer.
African Front
The African front extends clear
around the world. You will find signs
OF 1t in the Pacific, where the United
Nations maintain just strength enough to
harass the Japs on the fringes of their
areas OF conquest. You will find it along
the United States Atlantic Seaboard,
where boatloads anG planeloads of the
stuff Of war set out for Africa, and in
United States factories, where the stuff
on the boats and planes is made You
will find it in Russia, where the Nazis
have reduced their strength, especially
in the air, In order to meet the threat
to Europe that is gathering in Tunisia.
You will find it in Turin, the North
italian manufacturing center, which
last week had two devastating visits
from the RAF. You will find it at
Gibraltar, the mouth of the Mediter-
ranean, where lies the key to United
Nations naval power in that sea.
Stories seep into the United States to
the effect that Germany is ready to
crumble, but Germany is acting like
strong and vigorous villain on the Tu-
nisian battlefield. The Allied army Of
Gen. K. A. N. Anderson had Tebourba,
and now the Axis has Tebourba Ten
days ago Anderson was within 40 miles
of Bizerte and 20 miles of Tunis-the
places where the Tunisian war will be
decided-and he has lost 10 miles or so.
Axis tanks are slithering over the
mountains and Allied artillery fire is
battering at the enemy. 1t is almost a
standstill, with the Axis regularly land
ing new troops from gliders to reinforce
the men engaged in the desperate stall.
1t. Gen Henry H. Arnold commander
Of the Army Air Forces, declared last
week that a battle may develop In the
skies above Tunisia which will determine
aerial supremacy over the Mediterranean
and possibly over all Europe. At the
moment, the American fighter plane
P-33 has to travel to Africa aboard a
ship in a crate while the Messerschmitt
109 can fly from Germany, where it is
made, to Northern Italy to Sicily to
Tunisia and fight. But Gen. Arnold
thought we already are approaching
aerial equality with the Axis in Africa,
and in time the P-33s will outnumber the
Messerschmitts and Focke- -Wulfs.
The war in the air on the African
front was heavy last week. The RAF
tried to weaken the Nazis operations in
Africa by raiding karlsruhe and Pforz-
helm in Germany. karlsruhe is key
junction on the rail line running from
German coal and steel centers in the
Ruhr through Switzerland to the fac
tories of Northern Italy which is part
of the industrial heart of the Axis opera
ton in Africa. Pforzheim is on con-
Meeting rail line over which trains might
be rerouted in case of tie-up around
Karlsruhe. British observers said that
the United Nations now are in a position
to carry on large-scale aerial operations
simultaneously on several fronts.
The British Isles base for the African
war was used for the forays against
Itaiy's factory city of
CiviIions Stort Turin, 600 miles from
To Move Bock England. There are
the royal arsenal and
the Fiat works Four ton bombs shook
the city Tuesday night, and again on
Wednesday. when Tuesdays smoke was
still visible over the city even in the dark
Five times in 30 days has Turin been
bombed. and Mussolini has ordered the
city cleared of all non essential civilians.
Bomhers from Africa also helped in
the shaking of Italy but none Of them
struck at Sicily, which contains the prin-
ciple Axis airfleld 70: Tunisian opera
tens Allied bombers and fighters under
Mai. Gen. James Doolittles command
in Tunisia struck at the Reegio airdrome
In South Italy, blasted docks at Bizerte,
in Axis hands, and attacked the railway
line between Sousse and Sfax in Eastern
Tunisia along the coast. The Allied air
men are handicapped by the present in
adequacy Of advanced airfields, which
are being improved The Axis is still
using dive-bombers against the Ander-
son army outposts. The Axis attacked
the Allied supply base at Phillippeville,
Algeria.