Evening star., 1943-05-08
u. S. and British Forces Press On
After Seizing Bizerte and Tunis;
Speed Of Victory Is Hailed Here
Pont du Fuhs
Is Taken Over
ByFrench
By the Associated Press.

By the Associated Press.
ALLIED HEADQUARTERS IN
NORTH AFRICA, May 8.-Allied
troops hammered scattered pock-
cts of resistance and pursued
enemy detachments fleeing from
conquered Tunis and Bizerte to-
day in battle which Gen.
Dwight D. Eisenhower said would
continue "as long as a single
armed German is on African
soil"
French troops captured Pont du
Fahs and high ground to the east
to roll up the right wing of Axis
lines still holding on the southern
front to contribute to the offensive
in which Americans seized Bizerte
and the British 1st Army took Tunis
yesterday.
British armor, hurting aside a
force of IS enemy tanks, captured
Bir M'Cherga, on the Tunis road II
miles north of Pont du Fahs, and
also War Ksar Tyr, midway between
Bir M'Cherga and Medjez-el-Bab
to narrow the Axis southern salient.
Many prisoners and much equip
ment has already been captured,
but exact figures are not vet
known - it was announced in COM
munique from Gen. Dwight D.
Eisenhowers headquarters. "The
advance continues
The surprisingly abrupt conquest
of Tunis and Bizerte, achieved by a
massing of overwhelmingly superior
forces of men, tanks, guns and
planes, came one day short of six
months after the Allied landings in
French North Africa.
Bent on Destroying Enemy.
Allied land, air and naval forces
are bent on one thing destruction
of the last vestige of the Axis forces
In Africa as a prelude to carrying
the war across the Mediterranean
and into Europe
The determination of the Ameri-
cans, British and French, as ex-
pressed by Gen. Harold Alexander,
Is to drive the enemy into the sea- %
There is equal determination to
prevent the enemy, once driven to
the sea, from achieving even a
partial Dunkerque.
With liaison severed between the
survivors of Bizerte and Tunis gar
risons and the southern front yield
ing before attacks of the British 1st
Army an dthe 18th French Corps.
the campaign was in its final bloody
stage.
Allied airmen who provided un-
precedented aerial support for the
ground offensive sank IA small craft,
set destroyer aflame and dam
aged several other vessels in the gulf
and harbor of Tunis and sank three
more vessels at the entrance to
Tunis Harbor at La Goulette, the
communique said.
Three Destroyers Sunk.
This followed up widespread at
tacks Thursday in which, further
reports disclosed, three Axis Destroy
ers were sunk and three others dam
aged and Is vessels were sunk in at
tacks on Sicilian ports.
1t was disclosed that on Thursday
alone, as the big push began, Allied
airmen showered more than 625
tons-over a million and a quarter
pounds-of bombs on the enemy.
Light and medium bombers,
fighters and fighter bombers of the
tactical air force kept up intense
attacks on roads congested with
enemy troops. destroying many We
hicles and starting numerous fires, "
the communique said. Enemy air.
fields near Tunis we're attacked
The communique said armored
elements of the British 1st Army
entered Tunis at ESQ pm. yester-
day after having advanced about
% miles in 36 hours against stiff
resistance, including many mine
fields.
In the north, troops of the I'd
United States Corps had cleared the
important town of Ferryville by 4
pm, and at Ais pm. their forward
elements entered BiZerte," the bulle-
tin said.
Conflict in Time.
Field dispatches earlier had said
the Bizerte entry was made first, at
Ais p M, and that the penetration
of Tunis was made five minutes
later. (The conflict was not imme-
diately explained, but possibly was
due to difficulties of field communi-
cation while the actions still raged)
Isolated groups of Axis soldiers
fought overnight in the narrow
streets and thick-walled houses of
Tunis and Bizerte in an effort to win
a few hours reprieve for columns
fleeing eastward in a crowded jum-
BILE along the few northern roads
still in enemy hands.
tAxis dispatches broadcast by
the Berlin and Rome radios and
recorded by the Associated Press
(Sae AFPTrA Dooa oI