Evening star., 1943-04-25
Africa
Continued From First Page.)

,E, continued From First Page)
what Gen. Alexander termed the
final phase that will see the an
Inhalation of the Afrika Korps, Won
Anim's army and their italian allies
in Tunisia," the 1st Army seriously
threatened the entire western side
of the enemys mountainous de-
u,fense arc by gaining six to seven
miles in the Goubellat-Bou Arada
sector.
'"' Vigorous Patrol Action.
~ The British 9Th Army, after hav-
ing pounded out initial gains in
the Enfidaville sector near the
eastern anchor of the Axis defenses,
contended itself temporarily with
vigorous patrol action while the
British and Americans coming in
from the west kept the enemy guess
ing as to where the next blow would
fall.
Allied bombers and fighter planes
made the record number of 1,500
sorties yesterday in support of their
attacking ground forces, yet so
feeble was Axis opposition that only
six planes we're lost.
American troops made success
full attacks, capturing more than
100 prisoners" said a communique
from Allied headquarters. I'm sew
eral areas advances of many miles
were made in difficult hill country"
Gen. Patton's men and armor at
tackled through the heavy brush
covering the Northern Tunisian
mountainsides at daylight yesterday.
The American offensive was
sprung from both the north and
south sides of the Tabarca- -Mateur
road. Units north of the road cap
tured the Djebel Mrata and Djebel
Ain Chouna hills and clung to them
stubbornlv despite costly attempts
by the enemy to dislodge them with
the support of artillery.
Djebel Rmel Captured.
South of the road other American
forces captured Djebel Rmel, 13
miles northeast of Oued Zerga, d
height which commands wide areas
both to the east and west and is
located in the strategic area flank
ing the road from Tebourba to
Medjez Ell Bah. The Germans
counterattacked flercely from noon
until night without shaking the
Americans loose.
Many bodies of Axis troops were
left lying on the forward slopes
where the enemy had come under
the fire of the Americans.
The terrain over which Gen. Pat
tons men were attacking was even
more difficult than that faced by
the British 9th Army on the Emf
daville front. So far the Americans
I had made no frontal assaults on the
Nazi bastions of Green" and Bald
Hills, which straddle the road to
Mateur. They appeared to be by
passing or flanking these heavily
fortified positions.
The British admiralty announced
that 10 more Axis ships, including
cruiser had been destroyed or
damaged in attacks by British sub
marines against enemy supply lines
in the Mediterranean. 1t was not
observed whether the torpedoed
cruiser sank.
Long Stop Hill, as it is known to
the British. or Djebel Ahmera by its
native name, was the strongest
known German position between
Medjez-El-Bab and Tunis. Dis
patches from the Front said British
troops had captured Long Stop in
armored fighting, but at headquar-
ters here it was thought possible
that some mopping-up remained to
be done. The British were reported
to have destroyed 16 German tanks
IN the fighting Tor the position.
The picturesque little village of
Goubellat was declared to be In firm
control of the British and the Ger
mans to be cleared out of the
Goubellat Plain. British tanks were
reported pushing on in an attempt
to make break through that would
open into the fiat coastal plain lead
Ing to Tunis. The Axis was in pre-
carious position there.
Several hundred of yesterdays
aerial sorties were reported to have
been made during a shuttle serv.
Ice" against Axis mountain strong
points in the northern sector, prob
ably in support of the Americans
There was scarcely a moment of The
day when no formation of Allied air.
craft was over the main enemy
fighter and bomber airfelds in
Tunisia." an official statement said.
CA German communique, record
ed by the Associated Press from
. Berlin broadcast, said the AL