The Waterbury Democrat., 1943-01-22
Castel BenitO Airport AL most Certainly in Hands
 of Allies
RETREATING GERMANS,
 ITALIANS GET NO REST
l,4OO Mile Retreat of Afrikan KOrps Almost Un-
 precedented in History '
BY WILLIAM B. DICKINSON

BY WILLIAM B. DICKINSON United Press Staff COrrcspondentDl
 London, January 22.-(UP) = Allied radio reports said today that the main defenses of the big Axis base of Tripoli had fallen and that advanced units of the British Eighth Army had fought their way into the suburbs of the flarn- ing city. The vital airport of Castel Benito, 10 miles south of Tripon, almost certainly is in British hands, radio Cairo said. If British planes are able to oper- ate from Castel Benito, they can deliver a terrific pounding against the city and harbor of Tripoli, which already are smashed and smoking from previous raids.
 Odicial Allied sources were reticent on the position of the Eighth Army but there appeared to be no slack ening in the retreat of the Afrika Korps from Tripoli to Tunisia along 'the hundred miles of hell"
 Rommel Plans Stand 1 American and British planes gave the retreating Germans and Ital- ians no rest. Axis forces as far west as Ben Gardane, 20 miles inside Tunisia, were attacked. Military ob- servers believed Marshal Erwin Rommel was attempting to rescue as many of his troops as possible from Libya in order to make stand along the Mareth line in Tunisia, 82 miles from the Tripolitanian hor- der.
 The fall of Tripoli would climax campaign that began three months ago and was featured by @ headlong 1,400-mile retreat by the Afrika Korps that for swiftneSs was almost unprecedented in military history.
 The British apparently intend to harass the Germans and Italians all the way into Tunisia. London military observers said there were strong indications that the Eighth Army had sent out @ southern col- umn to bypass Tripol and attempt to cut the enemy retreat beyond the city.
 The Germans in Tunisia were de- veloping @ local offensive southwest of Pont du Fans in an attempt to keep open a corridor through which the Afrika Korps could retreat. Two German columns were moving along parallel valleys against positions held by the French. One column had been halted in front of Robaa, 9 miles southwest Of Pont du Fans, the French said, but the other column was menacing Ousseltia.
 A communique from the U. s. Ninth Airforce in Cairo said Amer ican medium bomberS and fighters were taking an active part in har- assing the Axis retreat. American Liberator bombers attacked sl1ip- ping in the hrabor of Tripoh it. self.
 Cutting sea supply lines to Axis forces both in TuniSia and Tripoli- tania, an Allied torpedo boat sank another Axis merchantmen of the Tunisian coast, and tanker was successfully attacked"
 The British have announced the sinking or damaging of at least 20 Axis ships in the African area in the last three days. All but 8 few were sunk.
 Additionally, Allied units attacked small enemy ships between Sicily and Tunisia yesterday with "good results"
 The powerful Allied air striking force under the Middle Eastern Com- mand was having field day. Besides blasting retreating Axis transport, battered and burning Tripoli har. bor was bombed again, the commu. nique said. Targets in Sicily and the airdrome on Pantellaria Island also were bombed and shot up
 Its imminent capture by the Britt ish army which had shattered and the Afrika Korps for almost 1 400 miles had been forecast 1ue hours. United states Undersecretasy of War Robert P. Patterson saiG e
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