Evening star., 1942-12-26
Allied Gains Reported Near Tunis>
British 9th Army Captures Sirte;
Hull Lauds Dar|an for Aid to Allies
Bottle for Africa
Advancing Close
ToFinoI Grips
BY the Associated Press.

BY the Associated Press.
LONDON, Dec. 26.-Allied
forces were reported by the Al
giers radio today to have
speared forward to within II
miles of Tunis, one of the Axis
two main citadels in Tunisia.
Only advanced elements were
mentioned by the broadcast, which
had no immediate official corrobo-
ration, and there were no details of
where the Allies had struck.
To have advanced within IL miles
OF Tunis on the main fighting front
the Allied forces would have had to
throw the strongly entrenched
enemy out of Tebourba. which is 20
miles west of Tunis. and then have
penetrated miles further to at least
the outskirts of Djedieda, which their
advance columns held briefly after
their first quick thrust into Tunisia.
AS an alternative, however, an AL
lied column might have swung in
from the south to within dozen
miles OF the capital, avoiding the
main Axis defenses. or parachute
troops might have been dropped far
ahead OF the main Allied advance.
IhlS gain, another indication that
the battle for North Africa was COM
ing to final grips, conceded with
the British headquarters announce
ment in Cairo that the 9th Army
has occupied Sirte. on the Mediter-
ranean coast about 21O airline miles
east of Tripoli. in the westward
chase of Marshal Erwin Ronmel
across Libya.
Hammering Axis Rear Guard.
The communique said British
forces still were hammering enemy
rear-guard units covering the with
draWal.
Action on the Tunisian front also
was reported by the italian COM
munlque to be more intense" but
1t said Axis forces beat off and re-
pulsed enemy elements, thus con-
solldating positions which have been
violently contended for during the
last few days
The Morocco radio said the Allied
port OF Algiers had fourth air raid
at dawn today but only Slight dam
age and not many casualties" were
caused.
The Morocco radio said Allied
forces advancing from Fighting
french territory at Lake Chad in
equatorial Africa into Southern
Llbya were continuing to make
progress in threat to Marshal
Rommels southern flank.
These forces. mostly Fighting
French, were last reported in the
Fezzan oasis area.
Marks 18O-Mi Advance.
Sirte fell to the British Yesterday.
marking l80-mile advance in pur-
suit Of the retreating Africa Corps
since Gen. Sir Bernard L. Mont
gomery launched his offensive at Ell
Agheila.
Meanwhile, on the Tunisian front
OF the North Africa battle-ground. an
Allied force held its position on a
height 6 miles northeast of strategic
Medjez-el-Bab, about 30 miles south
west of Tunis. beating off series of
enemy counterattacks over muddy
ground.
The British communique announc-
ing the fall of Sirte said there v~re
no important air operations over the
battle area. but that two heavily
laden barges sailing southwark off
the coast of Tunisia and a railway
near SouSse were successfully at
tackled by our fighters"
One Allied plane failed to return
from these attacks.
Winter rains slowed the fighting
in the Tunisian area, but Allied
French units in the Kairouan and
Pont-du-Fahs sectors of Central
(See AFRICA, Page Az