Evening star., 1943-03-06
Pichon0ccupied
Americans in
Central Tuniisiid
British Forces Quit
Sedjenune, Fall Back
J Miles Into Hills
BY the Associated Press.

By the Associated Press
ALLIED HEADQUARTERS IN
NORTH AFRICA, March Elm
the face of weeks of strong Ger
man. attacks, the British 1st
Army abandoned Sedjenane yes
terday, falling back 7 miles to
higher ground at Tamera, it was
announced today, but American
forward elements moved east
ward in Central Tunisia and oc-
cupied Pichon in an advance
which was regarded as the most
important of the day.
The British withdrawal from
hard-contested Sedjenane gave the
Germans a total 20-mile advance
along the Bizerte-Mateur-T -Tabarka
coastal road in seven days of fight
ing. Sedjenane previously had
changed hands twice, the Germans
occupying the town Wednesday, but
being driven out Thursday.
The Allied communique did not
touch on the LIST Army retreat in
that sector, saying simply that in
Northern Tunisia enemy activity
was on reduced scale"
United States armored units oc-
cupied Pichon, which lies in the
Ousseltia Valley at the front OF the
last ridge of mountains in Eastern
Tunisia, in an advance which mill
tary observers said was the most
important of the day Pichon is 20
miles west of the Nazi base of Kali
rouan.
The Americans rolled into Pichon
about 4:30 pm. yesterday to regain
almost all the territory lost before
the original Axis drive in this area
and to convert the valley and the
top ridges of the secondary Tuni-
sian dorsal into a vast no-man's-
land.
British Shorten Line.
The British shortened their line
in the north, giving up a wild and
Gesolate section of the country
which sources here said was OF no
great strategic Importance in the
withdrawal from Sedjenane.
AS long as the Germans are
blocked from Beja, 70 miles to the
south, which is the key to the road
to the Medjez-El Bah front, the re-
verse means little except for the
losses IN equipment, officers said.
In the south patrols from Gen.
Henri Giraud's forces pursued east
ward along the rim of the Chott
Djerid salt marsh toward Tozeur, As
miles southwest of Gafsa, with little
opposition
Thirty Axis tanks were reported
to have been destroyed since Col.
Gen. Jurgen Won Arnim began his
attacks in the north.
The Allies were declared to be
carrying out vigorous patrol activ-
1ty IN all sectors and to have made
small local gains other than in the
Pichon sector.
Faid Pass Menaced.
Meanwhile advancing American
troops were reported to be menacing
Faid Pass, through which the Ger
mans broke into Central Tunisia
over two weeks ago. and pressing the
retiring Axis task force back through
the mountains.
Dispatches from the front late
last night placed the American
troops near the western end of the
pass, without stating their exact
position.
While Axis Marshal Erwin Rom
mel's forces in the fortified Mareth
positions in Southern Tunisia gath
cred themselves for what was ex-
pected to be a showdown with the
British 9th Army, Gen. Sir Bernard
L. Montgomery's men in a feeler
brush with Axis troops were report
ed to have inflicted very heavy
losses-heavy enough to remember" :"
Most military observers agreed
that Rommel had been assigned the
task of playing for time in Tunisia
(See AFRICA Page A-3l