Evening star., 1942-12-01
Americun-British
Aerial Strength
Grows by Hour
By the Associated Press.

der skies being rapidly cleared o1
the enemy air force, steadily are
lengthening two wedges aimed
at separating Axis forces in Tu-
mis- and Bizerte and cutting
them off from their last lano
route to Tripoli, it was an
r1ounced at Allied headquarters
in North Africa.
One British and American force
was reported today stabbing clost
to the coast. only few miles shor
of its goal of severing the last high
way communication left to the en-.
emy garrisons at Bizerte and Tunis
Another force of Americans ano
Frenchmen was plunging toward tn,
coast farther to the south in race
to seize the Tunis- -Tripoli road skirt
ing the Mediterranean shore in Eas
Central Tunisia.
Allied air strength is mounting
by the hour, it was reported au-
thoritatively, and the German all
force was declared on the down
grade after being soundly thrasheo
in clashes thus far with Allied air.
men.
Bitter Fighting Expected.
Despite the growing Allied COM
naand of the air, this source stressed
that much bitter fighting still is ex-
pected before the Germans and
italians finally are thrown out OF
North Africa.
A French con1munique announced
that French forces entered Pont du
Fahs, about 80 miles southwest OF
Tunis on the inland railroad, in an
advance toward the coast.
Pierre Boisson, governor general
of French Equatorial Africa, was in
conference with Admiral Jean Dar-
Ian in North Africa in the first re-
ported meeting between them since
Boisson aligned his territory, en-
bracing the strategic port of Dakar,
with the United Nations.
Gen. Auguste Nogues, commander
In Morocco, and Admiral Michelier,
chief of cabinet to Darlan, also con-
ferred with Darlan on the North
African situation.
Bizerte Docks Blasted.
Bizerte got its usual shower OF
Allied bombs overnight, the Al
siers radio announced. Four Ger
man planes were destroyed and one
Allied plane was lost.
Continuing their aerial assaults
on the other end of the Axis Med
iterranean supply line, the British
announced new raids against Sicily
and an enemy merchant ship was
reported hit yesterday off the island
of Pantelleria, between Tunis ano
Sicily.
In a left-handed admission that
the Axis was on the defensive II
Tunisia, Rome announced that air
supported Axis armored forces re
sisted Anglo American forces or
the move in Tunisia." The Fascist
war bulletin claimed some prison
ers we're taken but did not say how
many.
Berlin repeated the Italian ac'
count almost word for word and II
addition reported day and nigh
bombing raids on Algiers and Bone
in Algeria.
The Italians acknowledged tina
the Allies again raided Sicily, th'
targets including Palermo, Celia ant
Trapani Two Allied planes Wer'
reported downed in attacks on thes'
supply bases for the Axis in NORTH
Africa.
Five other Allied craft were de
stroyed in Tunisian operations
Rome asserted. and two on th'
ground in Libya where it sale
ground activity was confined tt
brushes between advanced units.
Ankara dispatches reported tina
German troops were reaching Greece
at the rate of a division-10,000 tt
$4,000 men-a week to take up the
slack left by the rushing of rein
forcements to North Africa.
The Berlin radio broadcast boas
that very considerable reinforce
ments" of men and heavy arms hae
reached Marshal Erwin Rommel'
Africa Corps at Ell Agheila, where III
has pulled up after an 800-mile re-
treat from Egypt.
With the Libyan front fairly quie
It was the Tunisian front which
held attention as the showdown ap
preached for that farthest northern
tip of Africa.
From the Algiers radio came re.
port that fighting was in progres!
near Mateur, last sizable town OF
the road to Bizerte from the south
west. This indicated a spearheaC
was being driven toward the nava
base in concert with the thrust tt
the coast between Bizerte and Tu
mis-, but Allied headquarters sale
nothing about any such operation
The Vichy radio said an offensive
was developing against a coasta
point between Sfax and Gabe'
which Allied headquarters reported
that italians were defending. Thi!
presumably referred to the Ameri'
can and French force seeking Il
cut the Axis escape highway" tt
Tripoli.
Success of the progressing Allied
operations in Tunisia would create
three pockets of Axis forces, al
without any avenue Of escape ex'
cept by sea and none able to joir
with another for a combined stand
Each Could Be Destroyed.
Thus trapped, each of the Axi'
pockets could be destroyed in turr
in an Allied variation of Hitler
own pet maneuver.
Under attack from Mateur, Bi
Zerte could be isolated by the Die.
deeida salient from Tunis, which IL
turn would be ringed off from Ital'
ians holding the land line to east.
ern ports and Tripolitania.
The Morocco radio broadcast ,
(see AFRICA, Page Ala