Evening star., 1942-12-18
Fleeing RommeI Units Pounded
loO Miles West Of E| Aghei|o;
Some May Have Escaped Trop
American Bombers
Heavily Attack
Bases in Tunisiu
By the Associated Press.

vi or!talns 9th Army were re-
ported today attacking the re-
treating enemy more than 100
miles airline west of Ell Agheila
while other heavy elements
stayed behind trying to wipe out
a trapped force containing per
haps 10000 of Marshal Erwin
Rommel's best desert fighters
and half his tanks.
The struggle apparently has
moved westward past the area be-
tween Marble Arch and Wadi Ma
tratln, 25-mile-long strip 65 miles
from Ell Agheila at It's westernmost
end, and British sources said that
at least some of the Nazi forces
trapped in 1t presumably have
slipped out of the pocket.
Marble Arch is 40 miles west OF
Ell Agheila and Wadi Matratin is
roughly as miles farther west.
The Axis plight in North Africa
was underscored by the flight of
Marshal Rommel in Western Libya,
a whiplash American air assault on
Axis bases in Tunisia and the prob
able sinking of three more Axis sup
ply ships by British submarines po-
licing the enemy's Mediterranean
supply lanes.
AS measured by the road winding
around the Gulf of Sirte. Gen. Sir
Bernard l.. Montgomery's army
probably had advanced about 125
miles from the former Nazi line at
Ell Agheila. The Cairo communique
said British forces were fighting
enemy rearguards throughout
yesterday beyond Zauta En- Nofilia
which, until recently, had been an
enemy airbase site behind the lines.
Gap Grows Wider.
The farther Marshal Rommel
pulled back his remaining forces. the
wider grew the gap between them
and the pocketed elements which
the British cut off in the Wadi
Matratin gulch Wednesday with a
fanking sweep through the desert.
Thus, the NaZi marshal apparent
ly had abandoned those forces to
fight their way out If possible rather
than risk any more of the strength
he is attempting to save by flight,
presumably to join the Axis western
armies for last stand in Tunisia.
Although the British communique
did not specifically say so, some
British observers expressed belief
that the Axis rear guard cut of at
Wadi Matratin still was surrounded
and being mopped up by forces
driving in from the east to strength
en- the British there.
These sources interpreted the
communicates reference to damage
inflicted on the enemy between
Marble Arch and Wadi Matratin"
to mean that the British still had
not determined just how much of
Marshal Rommels army had been
Isolated.
They said it was probable, how
ever, that such a rearguard was
strong in tanks and anti-tank guns.
Constant Flank Attacks.
The Italian communique said the
British had failed to intercept Axis
units moving west, but the German
communique, although insisting that
the retreat was progressing accord
ing to plans, acknowledged at
tempts by the British to harass it
by constant flank attacks"
Allied air domination over Libya
apparently remained virtually un-
changed. :.
Extensive fighter patrols carried
out by Allied aircraft" the British
communique said, have entirely
prevented enemy air forces from in
terfering with the advancing 9th
Army.
Fighters and fighter -bombers
Yesterday attacked the landing
ground on Lampedusa Island and
did considerable damage to dis
persed aircraft. At least five large
enemy aircraft flying south were de-
stroyed by our fighters off Sicily. A
single Junkers-88 was shot down
near Bengasi."
OF the three vessels announced
by the Admiralty as probably sunk
in the Mediterranean one was a
medium transport bound for Tu-
nisia with a heavy cargo of motor
vehicles. 1t was said to have run
aground in sinking condition after
being torpedoed. The other two
were attacked in the Gulf of Naples
and were regarded officially as de-
stroyed.
French Take Position.
Although the air struggle still
was paramount in Tunisia, with
United States planes smashing in a
new assault on Bizerte, Tunis, Gabes
and other enemy strongholds and
the enemy countering again with
attacks on Philippeville, in eastern
Algeria, the French forces were re-
ported to have gained an important
position.
A French communique broadcast
by the Morocco radio, however, did
not amplify this announcement.
Dispatches from Allied headquar-
ters in Tunisia said one of the most
powerful forces of American bomb
ers and fighters to take the ali
on that front had set devastating
fires in the enemy's Tunisian supply
ports yesterday In the sixth day OF
q sustained aerial offensive.
One Fighter Plane Damaged.
German attempts to break up the
raids were said to have failed COM
pletely-American losses being con-
fined to one fighter plane damaged
On the other hand, five German
fighters were reported shot down.
three by Flying Fortresses-and
three others were reported badly
damaged
At Tunis the American raiders
started large fires in the dock area
and sank at least one ship. DAM
age was reported to docks at Bizerte
and to airdromes at Gabes and Sidi
Tabet, where fires visible for 20
miles were started.
In addition to the five enemy
planes shot down by the raiders, two
(see AFRICA, Page A-2.)