Evening star., 1942-12-09
Allied Heavy Guns
And Planes Soften
Axis al Tebourba
Offensive in Tunisiu
Apparent as Allies
Prepare New Drive
Continued From First Page.)

hits on destroyer, fuel dump and
large building in night raid on
the Bizerte docks and seaplane base.
1t said long-range fighters also
shot down three enemy transport
planes and damaged an escor ing
fighter of Lampedusa Island, which
lies between Tunisia and Sicily.
1t also was announced at Cairo
that American fighter pilots shot
down six out of seven Messer-
schmitts destroyed yesterday in an
air battle over Field Marshal Erwin
Rommels Marble Arch landing
ground. west of Ell Agheila. Many
other German planes also were
damaged in Libyan air fighting, it
was reported.
Land activity in the Ell Agheila
area, where Rommel is preparing for
stand against the British 9Th
Army was limited to patrol activity
the British said.
Battle Of Supply.
With both armies fighting across
water from home soil, the battle of
supply rivaled in Importance the
struggle for the 20mile deep zone
which includes the Axis strongholds
at Bizerte and Tunis.
An authoritative British source
said the Allies could exact a heavy
toll through naval and air action
against the enemy in the Mediter-
ranean, but so far had been unable
to step Axis conveys to Tunisia al
together.
Indicative of the great Importance
attached by the Allied high COM
mand to choking off Axis supplies.
this source pointed out that last
week, for the first time in months
the British Navy risked cruisers and
destroyers in surface actions In the
Mediterranean.
Considering that every item OF
supplies for large army consuming
materials at fast rate in active
operations must be brought in by
sea, he said, the Allied navies tace
tremendous task. There also is
big job preparing North African
ports to receive huge amounts OF
shipping, he added.
Darlan Issue Reappears.
The issue over the status of Ad-
miral Jean Darlan reappeared in
the House of Lords. Lord Elibank
gave notice that he intended to ask
the government for assurance that
the former Vichy vice premier holds
only temporary rank as high COM
missioner in North Africa. that he
would relinquish it soon and that the
government would have no further
collaboration with him,
The Daily Mail said the strongest
Allied air force yet seen on the
Tunisian front was now operating
with the British First Army and
United States units.
The report of increased Allied air
strength was borne out in yester-
days communique from Allied head
quarters in North Africa which said
Allied troops in the forward areas
were receiving good support from
light bombers and fighters.
The Berlin radio claimed that
British and United States troops
had been outf1anked and dislodged
from their positions in the Tunis
area. This report. based on
DNB dispatch, said six United States
heavy bombers we're destroyed on
the ground at an Allied air base
and that large quantities Of am
munition and equipment had been
taken by German troops.
Nazi Advantage in Airfields.
Behind his defense lines, German
Gen. Walther Nehring controls
enough airfields to give him dis
tinct advantage in the early stages
of the battle The reports of in
creased Allied aerial strength indi-
Gated, however. that 1t. Gen. Dwight
D. Eisenhower has been able to ex-
pand his own forward air bases to
challenge the Axis air superiority.
AS the battle ragged. conferences
from which the Allies already have
received the naval and air facilities
of the great French base at Dakar
in French West Africa continued in
Algiers. Gov. Gen. Pierre Boisson
of French West Africa and Admiral
Darlan we're reported in delayed
dispatch to be still discussing details
of the arrangement.
1t was understood that the nego-
tiations with Gen. Eisenhower were
purely military and did not imply
any recognition of a diplomatic ma
ture regarding the eventual status of
Admiral Darlan.