Evening star., 1943-05-07
Continued From First Page

COl UlllS W d VI dIlS-OCCdll OlopdtCll
broadcast by the Berlin radio and
recorded by the Associated Press)
Heavy Enemy Losses.
Heavy losses were inflicted on tn
retreating foe over wreckage-lit
tered terrain in some of the war
flercest fighting. The offensive begal
at first light yesterday, rage
through the day and as night fel
both Americans and British wer
still advancing. g
An Allied communique said Amer
lean troops had captured four NOR
important points in Northern Tu
nisia in the push on Bizerte ant
captured more than 1000 Axis pris
oners in the last two days.
AS air forces blasted path fou
miles long and 1000 yards wide will
a terrific bomb barrage which GOV
cred practically every square yard
the British Army swept down tn
main road to Tunis from Medjez
el-BahA established itself on a broat
strip extending five miles north an,
1lkC OOuCll VI Vic 4Oo0 ll1s
rolled eastward.
The infantry at first formed tn,
spearhead of the drive, taking higl
ground and wiping out antitanl
gun positions. Then British arm.
ored formations. moving up on botf
fanks, took over the lead.
Tank Formations Routed.
The Germans assigned so tanks tt
engage this steamroller movement
IS to the south of Massicault and 2;
north of the village. Both these
formations were routed in armoree
battles during which several Ger.
man tanks we're destroyed. British
antitank gun crews quickly took ur
strategic positions to prevent the
enemy from throwing in any frest
armor
Massicault, II miles southwest ot
Tunis, fell into the heavy British
pincer and by the time it was oc.
cupied at 3 pm. British armorec
units which shot around the towr
were already advancing toward st
Cyprien, seven miles up the road.
Can Associated Press CORE
spondent with the British 1st
Army said that St. Cyprien was
pounded by more than 100 Allied
bombers which concentrated
their attack into 10 minutes in
mid-afternoon)
Many of the enemy were killed
To the American bag of more thar
1000 prisoners in the north, the
1st Army added many hundreds
The captives included some Ger.
man elite troops, who cracked as die
the others under the terrific bomb
ing. shelling, tank assaults and in
fantry attacks.
American detachments on the
British left flank attacked the high
lands guarding Chouigui, 81 miles
west of Tunis, and by 10 am. for
ward elements had reached their
objective in spite of strong enemy
resistance. The troops involved
were among those who had taken
Mateur, the communications juno
ton between Tunis and Bizerte.
Attack Ridge on River Bank.
A little north of the Chouigui Sec
tor other Americans crossed the
River Tine and attacked the ridge
on the east bank along a sector OF
several miles under heavy machine
gun and mortar fire.
Still farther north, tank supported
American detachments mopped UP
the last Axis opposition on Djebe,
Achkel, on the south shore of Lake
Achkel, and on high ground called
Djebel Zarour, 6 miles to the south
east (across the Mateur-B -Bizerte
highway.
Six of the enemy's heavy anti
tank guns were liquidated with their
crews. In one case an American
tank ran squarelyN into a gun, fiat
tening its position.
Enemy forces overwhelmed in
cluded members of the Nazi Barren
thin Regiment, among the best in
Tunisia.
The main object of the days op-
erations for the Americans was to
get Chouigui Pass. While it was not
fully occupied, the gains of the day,
which the communique listed as
-four important features were such
as to dominate the pass and put the
pincers on several other strategic
points at which the Germans were
still fighting.
French troops in the Pont du
Fahs area, on the lst Army's right
flank, continued their advance to-
ward Zaghouan against strong oppo-
sition and extensive mine fields.
9Th Army Advances.
Gen. Sir Bernard Montgomery
9th Army advanced also at one in
land point miles northeast of
Djebebina, approximately midway
between that village and zaghouan,
In heavy fighting.
Yesterdays furious air offensive,
which eclipsed anything yet seen in
the African campaign, set many
new records, including one of the
greatest strikes against enemy
shipping yet achieved from North
African bases.
Twenty vessels were hit
the largest number recorded in one
day, and of these II were definitely
sunk and the others were damaged
and left burning.
The victims included one de-
stroyer, seven motor barges and four
small boats loaded with men, all
sunk. Another destroyer was among
the damaged craft. Most of this
damage was done by medium
bombers.
(Communiques from Cairo and
Valletta told of other blows
against the Axis Mediterranean
shipping. Liberator bombers of
the 9th United States Air Force
attacked moles and harbor in
stallations of Reggie di Calabria,
Italy, and scored direct hits on at
least two large merchant ships,
one throwing up flames and
white smoke.
malta based fighters attacked
small enemy surface craft of
Sicily with cannon and machine
gun fire and left them listing.