Evening star., 1942-11-10

that the 35,000-ton battleship Jean
Bart. which previously had been re-
ported damaged, had joined coastal
batteries in answering fire.
1t said Casablanca still was hold
ing out, though heavily attacked
by superior armored forces"
Armistice Offer Rejected.
The German radio also broadcast,
under Vichy dateline, that fighting
on large scale had been resumed
at Casablanca after the French
commander had rejected the Ameri-
can armistice offer.
Axis aerial Intervention into the
battle of North Africa has been
slight, the Allied spokesman said.
He declared fatty the Vichy report
that four Allied warships and six
transports had been sunk was lab
solutely false"
The main opposition still. he
said, was from considerable" naval
resistance
Gen. Eisenhower declared last
night he was we'll satisfied with the
Army's progress and that the rail-
road schedule coordination of the
British and American navies was
marvellous.
The Vichy commander of Casa
blanca, Atlantic port 300 miles
southwest of Gibraltar. turned
down an ultimatum presented under
flag Of truce by Maj. Gen. George
/. l.. Patton, jr correspondents at
tached to Allied headquarters re-
ported.
Gen. Patton, commander of the
American forces in that sector,
therupon returned to his ship and
hostllltles were resumed. The French
news agency Havas acknowledged
that the port was seriously threat
ened, but said it was organizing for
resistance. American PIT boats
operated at the harbor entrance.
Liner Reported Sunk.
Perhaps victim of these swift
and deadly craft, the l2,692-ton
French liner Porthos was reported
by Tangier dispatch to the London
Daily Express to have been sunk at
Casablanca.
In this region French aircraft
have been more active than else
where the Allied communique said.
All forces have been given naval
supporting fire against forts. Coun-
ter-measures were taken where our
ships met with resistance from
, enemy naval forces
Brig. Gen. James H. Doolittle
chief of the United States Air Forces
in the operations, saw his pilot
wounded during an attack and he
himself took over the controls, dis
patches said.
French radio stations said several
American infantry regiments. orig
inally formed in three columns and
supported by tanks operating in
teams of IS, had hemmed in Casa
blanca for the onslaught.
Initial Allied landings north OF
Casablanca were declared supple
mented by the occupation of Mehdia
and Port Lyautey 'Kenitra A Paris
broadcast said United States air.
men had bombed Marrakech, inland
communications center below Casa
blanca. and caused slight damage.
Denying Vichy announcement
the Governor General of Morocco
said American landing points did
not include Mogador, 18O miles south
OF Casablanca. or Agadier, IS miles
farther down the Atlantic Coast.
/ Havas said the defense of Algeria
was becoming more and more diff.
cult especially around Oran and
Philippeville
$50 Miles East of Algiers.
The Allied communique did not
mention operations against Philip
pevllle, on communication routes
toward the naval base of Bizerte
Tunisia, and Axis-held Libya.
The squeeze play on Oran by the
landing parties commanded by Mai
Gen. Lloyd r. Fredendall was
stressed. In addition to flanking Orar
from both east and west, the forces
have penetrated a considerable dis.
tance to the rear Of the city, the
comunique said
AT several points stiff local re.
slstance has been met" it was an.
nounced. Now in our hands ar,
three Of the four air fields in thi
region"
Vichy dispatches said the Ameri
cans had unloaded tanks and ringet
Oran from the nearby communitie
OF Saint Cloud, Valmy and Ain-el
Turck. A direct attack on tn
harbor was declared to have failed
costing two light United States war
ships
Parachutists Used.
United States parachute troop
were used in the l2-hour battle O
Algiers Sunday and others droppe
to earth at other points on tn
Algerian moroccan coast. the Vich
radio said.
Allied planes. including man
large transports carrying parachut
troops. were declared taking O.
from Gibraltar throughout yester
Gay, while light surface craft an
destroyers maneuvered through tn
strait.
: Although the Petain-Laval gov
ernment has broken relations wit
Washington. French broadcaste1
referred to the American and Brit
, ish forces as assailants rather tina
the enemy"
: A dispatch from Algiers was quot
| ed as saving that despite the cor
, tinuous ground. naval and air bon
: bardment, no great damage W.
caused before the city surrendere
, and casualties were Is persons kille
, and about so injured.
;! Churchill