The Waterbury Democrat., 1943-01-29
GRAND TUNISLA
ASSAULT NEARS
Continued from Page y

AS SACAA A0AAo WCkV bCAACNGQ 0G
able to muster three or perhaps four
armored divisions for the battle Of
Tunisia.
Despite bad weather, Allied planes
OF the middle eastern command
swept low over southern italy and
Sicily Wednesday night and yes.
terday to blast railway communica-
ton and "other targets" They
were maintaining q steady offensive
against the railroads over which
supplies and reinforcement were
rushed for shipment to the Axis
narrowing African bridgehead.
A communique Of the middle east.
ern command reported artillery ex.
changes between the Eighth Army
and the Afrika Korps' rear guard
yesterday near zuara, 80 miles from
Tunisia and "a miles west Of Tripoli.
The relatively slow progress Of
the Eighth Army since It took Trip.
oil and the use Of artillery sug.
gested that Marshal Erwin Rommel
had ordered q spirited rear guard
defense, to give him time to pre-
pare the Mareth line, in Lower
Tun1sia, for at least q temporary
stand.
Final Offensive
But dispatches from Allied North
African headquarters said the stage
had been set for a final, stunning
offensive against all Axis forces re-
naming in Africa. Axis radios
sounded alarms Of attacks and i'm
pending big-scale action, and one
Allied report indicated that Amer
lean forces were already delivering
the first great blow.
Radio AlgierS said advancing
American troops had reached Max.
nassy, rs miles north of the Mareth
line, near the Tunisian- Tripolitan-
ian frontier.
Axis radios sounded other alarms
OF q big Allied drive. Radio Paris
said Allied forces below Maknassy
were testing defenses the Axis was
preparing between Chott Djerid and
Gabes. Swampy Chott Djerid is Just
above Cakes, and there is only IA
miles Of passable land between It
and the coast.
considerable Allied troop move
ments are continuing in the Medjez
Ell Bab-Bou Arada sector" radio
Vichy said. "1t Is obvious that the
Allies are preparing for large-scale
action"
Med Jez Ell Bah is 80 miles south
west Of Tunis. Bou ARABIA is 20 miles
south Of Hedjez Ell Bah.
The Axis radio Vichy said patrols
Of the British Eighth Army had in
flltrated the southern sector along
the frontier although attempts to
encircle Italian and German forces
in western Tripolitania have not
succeeded"
An American drive to the Tuni-
sian east coast would be calculated
to pinch of the retreating Afrika
Korps and grind 1t to pieces be-
tween the Americans and the Brit
ish Eight Army, pushing toward the
frontier.
Maknassy is "a miles from the
coast, and a road runs east to
Graiba, almost on the coast, and
there forks toward Gabes on the
south and Sfax on the north, both
seaports.
Marshes impossible
The Americans could control the
coastal road by driving to Graiba,
but an easier trap could be laid just
north of Gabes, 100 miles above the
border. There, salt marshes, i'm
passable this time Of year, create a
14-mile bottleneck through which
the Afrika Korps must pass If 1t is
to join Axis forces in the north.
United Press Staff Correspondent
Phil Ault reported from Allied
North African headquarters that
plans for a coordinated attack to
drive the Axis from its African
bridgehead had been concluded at
a meeting of Allied military chiefs.
with the Eighth Army at the
Tunisian frontier and the Allied
force under Lieut.. Gen. Dwight Els
enhower poised along a 250-mile
front, the day is nearing for a show
/ down." Ault wrote.
"The impetus of the attack might
be carried on beyond African
shores.
There is certain to be a large
amount Of confusion in any such
withdrawal as Marshal Erwin ROM
mel and Col. Gen. Jurgen Won Ar
MIN would be forced to make across
the Mediterranean and the Allies
might seize the opportunity to jump
across to Sicily or Sardinia"
Ault said the Alleis In Tunisia
had spent the last six weeks in
earnest preparation. bringing up
supplies and deploying troops.
Gen. Jacques LeCierc'S forces from
Tunisia were hold 0hadanis. the
last Italian outpost In the eastern
Sahara.
Giraud announced last night that
French units had reached 10 and
found that the Italians had fed.
---~