Evening star., 1942-11-27
Allies Pushinu
Wedge Into
1uniisiian Area
Speorheods Clash
With Axis Forces
At Muteur
9y the Associated Press,

9s the Associated Press.
LONDON, Nov. 27.-Allied
spearheads were reported today
to have lanced to point Is miles
from Tunis and to have clashed
with Axis forces at Mateur, a
communications junction Is
miles south of Bizerte. in an ef-
fort to drive a wedge between the
fortified capital and the naval
base of Tunis.
Both developments were an
nounced in Berlin radio broadcast.
The position of the task force
striking at Tunis was not stated,
but an Allied communique earlier
announced that British 1st Army
troops, striking northeastward, had
captured Mejez Ell Bah, 30 miles
southwest of Tunis, over stiff re-
sistance and were advancing sue
cessfully."
Mateur lies athwart the railway
line and one of two highways be-
tween Tunis and Bizerte, in which
Hitler has concentrated the ma
jority of German and Italian troops
in Tunisia. 1t is 40 miles northwest
OF the capital. Eastward, toward
the Mediterranean coast, runs an
other highway between Bizerte and
Tunis.
The Morocco radio said all ground
engagements this far, fought amid
the first showers of the Tunisian
rainy season, had been on a small
scale. 1t reported the French forces
under Gen Henri Honore Giraud
were advancing rapidly eastward in
cooperation with the British and
American program.
Axis Claims Air Superiority.
The Berlin radio declared the
German air force had gained air
superiority over Tunisia with light
ming speed but offered no statistics
in support of the statement.
Naval and land forces have been
able to pour men and materials into
the country" the Nazi agency said.
"Deployment of Axis forces is still
In progress and consequently fight
ing is restricted to a few minor
brushes between mobile units
The need for disciplined speed
was indicated by the German and
italian troop movements from Libya
and Sicily which, despite Allied air
and sea attacks, were shortening
the manpower odds.
Authoritative London quarters
estimated the Germans now had
about 10000 men in Northern
Tunisia, several thousand more ready
to board transports in Sicily and be-
tween 5000 and 1000 transferred
from Western Libya to man coastal
defenses against the British, French
and American divisions-perhaps
$50, 900 men-of the British 1t. Gen.
K. A. N. Anderson.
Strong Fighter Protection.
Allied headquarters communique
No 20. which reported the seizure
of Mejez Ell Bah. said. Allied aircraft
have provided strong fighter protec-
tion for offensive operations on the
ground"
1t reported 10 enemy planes were
believed destroyed aground in
United States Air Force attack on
the Tunis airdrome early yesterday
and RAF squadrons the day before
conducted several sweeps, destroy
ing a minimum of IL enemy air.
craft for loss of seven of our air.
craft"
The United States pilots were said
to have found the Tunis airdrome
Uttered with Axis planes destroyed
in previous raids.
Our planes encountered heavy
machine-gun fire from the ground,
but no fighter opposition" it was
announced.
Reinforcements moving from Al
geria were reported by Reuters to
be contending with the initial bad
weather of the wet season. The
lst Army, however, has covered
more than 300 miles of difficult
country in week. The Morocco
radio said the Allied air attacks
were pressed through stormy skies.
Axis Shipping Claims.
Without confirmation from AL
lied quarters, Transocean dis
patch broadcast by the Berlin radio
said raiding planes had sunk $4,000
tons of Allied transports off French
North Africa and in the Western
Mediterranean. The period was not
specified.
selected French pilots in Morocco
are being equipped with new United
States pursuit planes and they are
expected to be "a great help to our
side in the coming campaign" a
high American officer said at Casa
blanca. French Air Gen. Lahoulle
was described as very cooperative.
Repercusslons persisted from 1t.
Gen. Dwight D. Eisenhower's ap-
proval Of an arrangement under
which Admiral Jean Darlan became
civil administrator of French North
Africa.
London political circles said Gen.
Charles de Gaulle, veteran leader of
the Fighting French, was expected
to make a strong personal appeal to
washington for a change in Admiral
Darlan's status.
Foreign Secretary Anthony Eden