Evening star., 1942-11-21
A||ies> in Control Of All Tunisia
Except 2 Axis Bndgeheads> Pour
In Troops for Large-Sca|e Attack
Struggle to Grow
In Ferocity Hourly,
Spokesman Says
By the Associated Press.


LONDON, Nov. 21.-Allied ar
mored forces streaming into Tu-
nisia closed with German forces
today in the opening phases of
full-Scale assault on Tobruk-
like arc of defenses within which
the Axis has been herded with
It's back to the sea, around BIZ
zerte and Tunis.
United States, British and Fight
Ing French troops already were re-
ported by North African radio sta
tions to hold all of Tunisia except
those two bridgeheads which the
Axis, with air-borne reinforcements,
is defending behind barricades hast
lily flung out about 80 miles in
semicircle about each port.
An Allied spokesman predicted
that the struggle would grow in
ferocity hourly and Axis reports
indicated that the enemy already
was throwing all the air and sub
marine resources at its command
into the effort to block the closing
circle of Allied steel and choke of
its supplies.
First Prisoners Taken.
Reuters said British forces had
captured their first Axis prisoners
within Tunisia and that in one clash
British parachute troops also had
destroyed six enemy armored cars.
The situation apparently was re-
volving about German decision to
center Axis resistance to strong
defense of Iunis and Bizerte, but
there still was no official indication
that the Axis forces in Libya had
been effectively isolated from those
in Tunisia by strong British or
American forces reaching the Medi-
terranean south of those places.
An Allied force from the Chad
area deep in Central Africa, how
ever, again was reported by the
Brazzaville radio to be thrusting
north in an effort to cut off Marshal
Erwin Rommels line of retreat be-
tween Ell Agheila and Tripoli.
Nazis Report Encounters.
A German broadcast reported in
itial major encounters between the
Axis and the Allies in Tunisia-
first disclosed yesterday in Allied
dispatches The Berlin radio, how
ever, claimed that IL Allied tanks
and IL arlnored cars had been de-
stroyed and railroad station seized
east of Tabarka, near the Algeria
border
Another German report said one
fighting French column had been
thrown back to the Tunisian frontier
in the south while others, near Beja.
SIS miles west of Tunis and Mejez ell
Dab. 80 miles west of Tunis, were
bombed as they marched to Join
the main forces.
The Algiers radio said the Ger
mans were trying to setup another
foothold on the Gulf of Gabes, in
Eastern Tunisia, but that the French
had repulsed new landing at
tempt and captured some Germans
in an engagement northwest of the
Port of Gabes.
Fi0rlna Reported Reached.
German reports, quoting Allied
sources in Spanish Morocco, said
the Allies were in the area of Ham
mamet. on the coast between Gabes
and Tunis, and that a fighting
French-American column moving in
from the south had reached Foriana.
on the railway line to Souse, and
Gafsa, on the railroad to Efax.
One Allied vanguard was placed
only 25 miles southeast of Tunis,
five miles closer than other forces
closing around both enemy strong
holds.
The struggle for air supremacy
apparently was unfolding as one of
the keys to Hitler's whole fading
grasp on North Africa.
The German controlled Paris radio
said Allied air forces again blasted
airflelds last night inside the Axis
held areas 1t also was the source
(See MEDITERRANEAN Pg. A-4D