The daily monitor leader. [volume] (Mount Clemens, Mich.) 1942-19??, 1942-11-18
Africa
CONTINUED from Pare u

Tunisia," and met only coopera'
ton from the French.
With German troops camped
on SPANS northern doorstep
and powerful Americana British
forces arrayed across the narrow
Gibraltar Strait to the South,
Generalissimo Francisco Franco
authorized partial mobilization
which may double or triple the
present Spanish army of about
100000.
Private advices reaching New
York indicated that SPANS
move TO mobilize land, sea and
air reinforcements was a bona
fide effort to avoid fighting,
rather than any step toward
military cooperation with the
Axis.
British parachutists were TAX
en- to their Tunisian airdrome
detectives in American transport
planes escorted by fighters. Reu-
tiers said some of the parachut-
lists landed "close to an import
ant key town in Tunisia," but
none of the reports identified
the positions seized.
American parachutists - the
men who helped take the Alger-
ian naval base at Oran-were
said to have landed in a swift
operation at an Algerian airfield
near the Tunisian border.
The German uncontrolled Paris
radio described the Nazi-held
Bizerte naval base as very well
fortified.
HEAVILY FORTIFIED
In one broadcast it said Ber-
lin military circles declared that
no actual fighting had occurred
between axis and British-Amer-
lean forces moving into the
French protectorate. In anoth-
er, it reported a slash between
allied troops and French colon
ials in south Tunisia.
Allied sources were silent on
the progress of the advance in
to Tunisia, but there was moth
ing to indicate that opposition
had been encountered from the
French, who instead were said
to have resisted axis occupation
of Tunis and Bizerte with what
force was at their command.
In Algeria and Morocco the
French, administering their own
civil affairs, were cooperating
closely with Lieut.. Gen. Dwight
D. Eisenhower's military COM
mand.
Reuters reported that q Nor
Deco broadcast said Lieut.. Gen.
Mark w. Clark had announced
the internment of some high AL
gerian personages on evidence
that they were impeding the
allied effort in North Africa.
Clark was said to have declar-
ed that the allied purpose of
North Africa and its pursuit on
the continent of Europe requires
an immense massing of men and
material in North Africa"
This gigantic enterprise" he
was quoted as adding, cannot
be held up by the attitude of |
men who have sold themselves
body and soul to the enemy -"
PRELUDE TO BATTLE
Eleventh-hour axis efforts to
save at least a slice of North
Africa were reflected in reports
of the massing of German and
marines and warplanes in prob
able prelude to huge scale sea
and air battles.
British sources estimated that
1000 axis planes had been rush.
ed to Sicily, Sardinia, southern
Italy and Crete. Other sources,
predicting important naval OPP
erations in the Mediterranean,
said the axis was known to be
operating at least so submar-
ines there. Allied losses, how
ever, were described as remark
ably few and all but one of the
sllied convoy and supply ships
which were hit were said to
have landed their troops and
equipment before being damag-
ed.
The British Eighth army clos
ed in tighter from the east, NOV
ing up 30 miles to within 70
miles of Bengasi, and Gen. Sir
Harold Alexander declared in
Alexandria that Rommel had
strong prepared defensive pos
itions' at Ell Agheila and was
expected to attempt stand
there.
Alexander said the axis forces
In Libya were "groggy, but not
knocked out" and sent his Ar
my of the Nile ahead to finish
the job.
Neither the German nor
italian communique gave any
account Of the situation in Tun-
isia except for mention of aerial
The Germans said they
bombed the EASTERN Algerian
port of Bone and Maison
Blanche. near Algiers.
or o;r f;nl<. ~, H. T,,,s.:.~~