The Waterbury Democrat. [volume] (Waterbury, Conn.) 1917-1946, 1943-03-23
ROmmeI Is in Desperate
Plight After Allies Twin
Successes
RETREAT FROM MARETH
LINE NOW JEOPARDIZED
Eighth Army Crowding
Afrika KOrps Into Bottle.
neck Below Gabes
BY VIRGIL PINKLEY

NAASSAA4 = AANAAAA444
UNITED Press Staff Correspondent
Allied Headquarters, North
Africa, March %. = (UP) -
The British Eighth Army, ex-
ecuting a brilliant wheeling
movement a 70 und the
Mareth Line, has driven TO
within 80 miles of the big
Axis port Of Gabes, and
American forces have pushed
east of MaknaSSy and now
are only 81 miles from the sea IN
th-central TuniSia.
The twin successes In the carly
stages of the big Allied push left
Marshal Rommel's Afrika Korpg IA
a desperate plight. The Americans
are threatening to cut off his re-
treat from the Mareth Line and tlle
Eighth Army is crowding him stead
lily northward into 12-mile bOttIe-
neck below GabeS.
In the frontal assault on the
coastal section Of the Mareth xAne
the Eighth Army forced its way
across Wadi Zigzau yesterday morn
ing and then captured Q German
stronghold two miles from Zagne.
Zarat lies five miles northeast e&
Mareth Village.
Allied planes were supreme
Twenty-six enemy aircraft W4A4
shot down In yesterdays operations
against seven for the Allies. One
Allied pilot is safe.
(Allied-Sponsored radios In North
Africa broadcast that the Eighth
Army preached the Mareth line &c
its strongest point and now was
pouring through onto the plain that
leadSt GabeS.)
Gen. Sir. Bernard L. Montguua-
cry, commander of the Eighth Army
achieved a brilliant tactical success
In sending q force, including tanks.
around the Mareth line. It prompt
ly struck northward and was last
reported to be within 10 miles 0e
the Axis strong point Of FL HANNA,
which is only 20 miles west of
GabeS.
Maknassy Captured
Americans under command %
Lieut.. Gen. George S. (Old Blood
and Guts) Patton took Maknassy ct
a. m. yesterday without much re-
sistance, but the Germans than
started an aerial counter-attack that
lasted al lday. Stuka drive bomhera
and Messerschmitt strafing planes
flew in for many attacks, but the
Americans fought them of and sent
arnored patrols three miles east OF
MaknaSSy - only 81 miles from the
sea.
United Press correspondent Ei1il
Ault, with the American forces In
Maknassy, reported that men armed
with tommy guns and smoke-smudge
pots to screen subsequent move
mentS of ormor and infantry were
the first ones into the sleepy t0wn
with its tin-roofed houses.
Ault referred to Maknassy as 30
whistle stop" on the railroad to
GabeS. and It was apparent that
the Americans had placed them
selves in position to make O light
HlAB IdCc 4OH L4lc SGD AIlu CAOoC tic
12-mile bottle-neck at Gabeg
through which Marshal Erwin ROM
mel must retreat in the face Of TIE
Eighth Army's pressure.
All day yesterday, Auls wrote. the
Americans held Maknassy against q
determined attempt by the Ger
mans to blast them out. Dive
bOmberS came over the American
positions almost all day, but the y.
8. armored infantry forces stood
firm and even began sending pa
trolls cauSiously eastward and north-
ward in preparation for the next
thrust toward the Gabes bottleneck
Maknassy is on the railroad that
leads to Mahares and the impor-
tant Axis reinforcement port Of
Sfax. The town was seized kg fha
northernmost column Of the tWD
American forces which are advance