The Waterbury Democrat. [volume] (Waterbury, Conn.) 1917-1946, 1943-05-06
French Capture 800 Pris
Oners in Advance From
Southwest
AXIS LEAVE ITALIANS
AS REARGUARD TROOPS
Americans Now Only Nine
Miles From Tunisia's
Second City
BY VIRGIL PINKLEY

United Press Staff Correspondent
Allied Headquarters, North
Africa, May 6. - Allied artil.
lery set fire to the harbor
area of Bizerte, TuniSia's Sec
ond city, today while ground
forces pounded closer from
both the west and southwest
and the British First Army
captured battle SCARED
Djebel Bou Aoukaz, last
formidable barrier guarding the
plain leading to Tunis, the capital.
A United Press dispatch from an
advance Allied air base said recon-
Nuisance planes reported Allied ar
tillery bombarding the Bizerte har-
Dor area while bombers joined in
the assault. Docks, wharves and
shipyardS were afire, the dispatch
said. The flyers credited the gun
nerS with setting most OF the fires.
Flying Fortresses also set wide
spread fires in the harbor area Of
TuniS and nearby La Goulette, the
dispatch said
Franco American troops captured
800 prisoners in their fighting ad-
yances toward Bizerte from the west
and southwest, While the British
First Army seized 80 more in its
successful assault on Djebel Bou
AoukaZ
BayOnet Charge
Djebel Bou Aoukaz, two miles east
of the road from Med jaz-El-Bab to
Tebourba, was captured by Brit
ish bayonet charge. Later some en-
envy transport was observed north
of the mountain and shelled by Brit
ish artillery. Allied sirplanes also
bombed the column.
The British victory removed the
most formidable mountain barrier
III that sector of the front but there
are two more rugged hills that must
be overcome before the Tunis plain
is fully opened to the Allies.
CA German communique broad
cast by Berlin radio said Is of "a
attacking tanks were knocked out
east of Mateur yesterday, while the
Italians reported the Axis was en-
gagged in hard, defensive fighting.~
Today's communique said a for
nation of nine Axis airplanes was
shot down by U. S. Lightnings Off
the Tun!sia coast. A United Press
dispatch from a forward air base
said the nine, included six air trans
ports, at least two Of which carried
troops.
Second Lieut.. Richard Kenny Of
Coronado, Calf, said he saw sol
dierS climb out on the wings and
struggle in the water after he shot
down two Italian transports which
bore Nazi markings.
The Allied airforces, bagging IL
enemy planes and two supply ships
and damaging seven other ships lost
only four aircraft American fighter
planes flew more than 1900 Sorties
on Wednesday, a record for them
in a single day,
American ground troops in the
northern sector were hopping up
after their advances in the Mateur
sector, Most prisoners seized yes
terday were Italians, again indicat-
ing the Germans were leaving Ital-
ians as rearguard troops while they
retired to new positions.
With the Americans and French
esS than nine miles from Bizerte,
other units from the End U. S.
Corps had all but immobilized the
Axis junction OF Ferryville, between
lake Achkel and Lake Bizerte with
he aid of the air force. Aerial
showed almost 100
lcres of devastated docks and har-
'or installations at Ferryville. which
vas principally important as a naval
lockyard for Bizerte.
Strong Stand Looms
The enemy still is holding a salient
northeast of Lake Achkel, on the