Evening star., 1942-12-11
Axis Tank and Infantry Assault
Beaten Back Below Tebourba;
y. s. Has Million Men Overseas
HeoWLosses
Inflicted on
Enemy Forces
b the Associated Press.


LONDON, Dec. 1l.-A tank-led
Axis attack drove yesterday to
little more than a mile from the
important crossroads at Medjez
Ell Bah, 20 miles southwest of
Tebourba, but faltered there
under destructive fire from Al
lied artillery and fighter planes,
the Allied headquarters commu-
nique said today.
The blows against the Allies right
flank in Tunisia were delivered
from north and east by two enemy
columns Of tanks and infantry, the
communlque said.
The one from the east-from the
direction of Tunis, 35 miles away
was forced to withdraw and both, the
communique said. suffered losses
considerably exceeding the few
tanks" which the Allies lost.
French infantry and artillery
helped repel the attacks, the COM
munique disclosed.
We lost a few tanks" it siad
ENEMY losses were considerably
higher"
Immediate Counterattack.
The communique said:
''One column came down from the
north along the west bank of the
Medjerda. Our forces counterat-
tackled Immediately and destroyed
number of tanks.
The other column, advancing
from the east, came within 1000
yards of Medjez Ell Bah, but when
engaged by our artillery and fighter
aircraft, withdrew. Several tanks
were destroyed in the battle"
Medjez Ell Bah is tactically i'm
portant as the hub of a network
of roads. Main highways pass
through it eastward toward Tunis,
southwark into the Tunisian inte-
rior and westward along the route
by which the Allies must be supplied
from Algeria and Western North
Africa.
One of several secondary roads
which join there leads northeast
ward to Tebourba which. until now,
had been the focal point of British
American efforts to close the final
20 miles to Tunis and Bizerte Gen.
Kenneth A. N. Anderson's British
lst Army and its American compo-
nents have held Medjez Ell Bah since
November 26.
Giant Transports Used.
The attack interrupted a pause in
major ground fighting during which
huge siX-engined flying transports
and trains of plane towed gliders
were reported flying Axis reinforce
ments to both North African fronts,
in Tunisia and Libya.
One of these giant transports was
reported shot down and two others
damaged in an air battle over the
Mediterranean north of Tripolitania.
Rainy weather. which has mired
the hilly Tunisian roads over which
the Allies must haul their material
to the front, apparently was giving
the enemy a lucky opportunity.
With shorter distances through the
deep. yellow Tunisian mud from
their bases to the front. Germans
and Italians were strengthening
positions with all they could move
up.
Allied reports indicated the Axis
senses that major Allied drives to
squeeze it into the sea from both
sides of its narrow African foothold
wait only on clearing skies.
Pressure on Rommel.
Continued pressure by British pa
trolls before Field Marshal Erwin
Rommels Ell Agheila line, the
British communique said in Cairo,
apparently has put Axis advance
forces in "a state of some nervous
ness"
This was suggested also by the
enemy's use of tremendous flying
boats to fly reinforcements into
Libya.
One six-engined plane was shot
down and two others were damaged
yesterday off the Libyan coast, the
British war bulletin said,
The NaZis evidently have pressed
their greatest cargo and passenger
liners into aerial transport service
over the Mediterranean to ferry
men to the Libyan desert line be-
yond range of the British feet po-
licing the sea lanes.
These planes were not identified
In the communique, but. presum-
ably, they were Blohm and Voss
flying boats, 80-passenger aircraft.
which have been reported only re-
Gently to have been put to military
uses.
The Italian communique, giving
(See AFRICA, Page A-20D