Evening star., 1942-12-30
Russian Army Hammers at Gates
OF Next Key City in Don Drive;
Americans Nearer Tunisian Port
Advancing Troops
Only 40 Miles
From Gubes
BY the Associated freSs.

LoNOolN, Lee. 0U, - UnlJcO
States troops were reported in a
Reuters dispatch today to have
advanced to within 40 miles OF
Gabes, strategic Tunisian port
which lies approximately midway
between AxiS-held Tripoli and
TuniS.
The direction of the advance was
not stated, but delayed field dis
patches received last night disclosed
that an American task force was
operating on the Southern TuniSiar
front and told of a recent raid or
Maknassy SIS miles northwest OF
Gabes and 40 miles from the coasta.
road and railway, in which 81 Italians
were captured.
There was no further word con-
corning the situation northeast OF
Medjez Ell Bah. where footholds
gained by the Allies on ridge G
miles from the town in fighting
Christmas eve and Christmas Dal
were disclosed in an Allied COM
munlque Yesterday to have been re-
linquished.
The Associated Press errone-
OuSly identified the forces in this
withdrawal as American. The
Allied communique, issued first
In Washington and then from
Allied headquarters in North
A
Earlier dispatches concerning the
attack and holding operations
said they were executed by a
famous British guard regimentD
Advance Toward Coastal Road.
French troops in Central Tunisia
and American forces to the south
were reported advancing slowly in
a three-Way drive on the coastal
road Mud generally begged the
main Allied forces near Tunis.
The French forces. supported by
Allied tanks and planes, were re-
ported to have cut an important
road south of Pont- -du-Fahs. 30
miles south of Tunis. yesterday. and
to have beaten off violent German
counterattacks except in one sector
where the Nazis were said to have
slightly at the cost of
heavy losses.
French headquarters in North
Africa said another force of their
troops, farther south between Pichon
and Kairouan, had improved its
position. This force is driving to-
ward the coast at AXiS-held Sousse.
British patrols operating against
Marshal Erwin Rommel's troops
west of Wadi Bel FL Chebir, Libyan
gulch itself 180 miles east of Tripoli,
destroyed some enemy vehicles yes
terday, a Cairo communique said.
Axis Merchantmen Sunk.
Naval torpedo aircraft were de-
clared to have sunk a Southbound
Axis merchant vessel off Pantellaria
Island, while bombers successfully
attacked dock areas of Tunis and
Bizerte the same night.
The Italian high command said
Italian aerial attachments inflicted
heavy losses on enemy columns in
the coastal region of Libya, the route
of the British 9th Army's westward
advance
The Italian communique. broad
cast from Rome. said Axis squadrons
also were active against Allied COM
munications and concentrations ir
vlc two W
to have destroyed nine tanks and
taken some prisoners.
United States Troops Take Gafsa.
The German radio announced
United States troops had taken
Gafsa, 200 miles southeast of Tunis
and only 80 miles from Gabes.
Marshal Rommel must use the
coastal road if he intends to keer
on retreating through Tripoli for ar
overland juncture with Axis troops
in Tunisia. The 9th Army pursuing
him now is less than l80 miles from
Tripoli.
In other African developments the
Morocco radio reported that another
United States mission had arrived at
Dakar in French West Africa. ac-
companied by technicians to work
out with local French authorities
plans for utilization of airfields by
American planes"
Gen. JUN Appointed.
Reuters reported that French
Army headquarters had announced
the appointment of Gen. Alphonse
JUN as commander in chief of
French troops in North Africa, ap-
parently to serve as field comman-
der under Gen. Henri Honore
Giraud, new French high commits
sioner. Gen. JUN was former mill
tary aide to Gen. Auguste Nogues
governor general of Morocco,
Formation of pioneer companies
and labor troops from among ma
tive Arabs and Berbers. recruited
and trained by the British, also
was disclosed.