Evening star., 1943-04-09
British Attack Aimed
Al Strongest Point
Confuses RommeI
Misjudement Resulted
In His Futile Blow
In Another Sector
" the Associated press.

By the Associated Press.
WITH THE BRITISH 9th ARMY
NORTH OF GABES, April 7 De-
layeO 1t is now apparent that
Field Marshal Erwin Rommel has
made a mistake-or rather two mis-
takes-which may 60 a long way
toward shortening the war in Tu-
nisia.
In the first place, he pulled the
bulk of his tank strength back from
positions facing the British 9th
Army to meet an American threat
on his flank, presumably on the as
sumption that the 9Th would be un-
able to attack as soon as it did.
In the second place, when the at
the direction of the British main
thrust and counterattacked in Sec
tor which failed to slow up the push.
Rommel apparently did not expect
the British attack to be directed at
the strongest defenses on his front,
but that was where Gen. Sir Ber-
nard L. Montgomery chose to throw
the weight of the infantry, guns
and armOr.
Within a matter of hours the Wadi
Ell Akarit and the anti-tank bitches
beyond it had been bridged and
armor was pouring across into the
milewide gap between the heights of
Fatnassa and Roumana. which
command the entire coastal plain.
Nazis Counterattack.
When Rommel counterattacked,
with 20 tanks and 1000 infantry
men, he struck on the east side of
Roumana instead of hitting at the
gap between the heights, thus leav-
ing the British free to exploit this
bridgehead.
Fatnassa and Roumana were the
keys to the whole situation. Desert
wise British troops turned noun
tain fighters to storm these rocky
knobs and surprise the German
Italian defenders, who apparently
had not anticipated such a bold
move.
Indian Gurkhas swarmed up the
steep slopes to seize Fatnassa while
picked British troops clambered up
Roumana.
A tall, air-haired sergeant-major
of a Scottish outfit which partici-
pated in the attack on Roumana
said his men moved across the plain
under cover of darkness to the foot
OF the height without encountering
any opposition, minefelds, wire or
anti-tank bitches.
Not until the British forces reached
the top of the height were they
challenged by the enemy, the SER
geant-major said, indicating the
completeness OF the surprise. There
the defenses were overwhelmed in
brief but bitter fighting at close
quarters and the sergeant-major
sent up rocket to indicate the po-
sition had been taken.
Thrusts Beaten.
Unscathed in the fighting, he was
burned when the rocket backfired
and had to 60 to a dressing station
for an anti tetanus shot.
I'D sooner go over the top any,
time than get stuck with needle" :"
he said with a grin.
Once in control of the heights
and with their armor and anti-tank
guns across the Wadi, the British
were ready when the enemy coun-
terattacked in the afternoon. They
beat off German thrusts east of
Roumana and other related infan-
try attacks.
The enemy then apparently re-
allied that his position was hopeless
and began withdrawing under cover
OF darkness, but not before the
British had taken more than 5000
prisoners-all but SO of them Ital-
ians.
German planes came over last
night to bomb and machine gun the
British. William Forrest, corre-
spondent of the London News
Chronicle, was wounded in the head
by bomb splinter.