The Waterbury Democrat. [volume] (Waterbury, Conn.) 1917-1946, 1943-04-26

Advances aud capture of KEY
heights On almost all sectors of tnS
TaniSian front On Sunday were ve-
ported in today'S coSnmNnaQaes
while front dispatches told o. IN
creaSing Allied aerial 6onbaramens
Of enemy positions that drew ring
ing cheers from our front lma
troops, Twice during sunday there
were a Allied bonaberS over single
target m q short period, ShatterinS
Axis trenches and hin positions 10
volcano Ike onSlaughts,
There was nothing TO indicate
where the Germans would halt thelk
withdrawal on the American srone
northeast Of Beja, but the xank4
were advancing cautiously TO avoid
traps according 10 q dispatch fle6
at Q q. m, today by c, r, Cunning~
ham, United Press correspondent e
the front
American infantry in hard fght~
Ing drove Axis troops from four key
hills and advanced four miles ~
the Sidi n'Sir sector on sunday y
a point about ~ miles southwest
OF Mateur on the northern 'front.'
while in the MedjeE-El-Bab sector
on the northern front, while IN tla@
Medjex-El-Rah sector to the south
British tanks Joined in q furious en~
gagement with the Germans near
Sehkret- El-Kourxia, q small ealH
lake,
Desperate Flghtlns
The Germans fought desperately
in armed engagements both ynEtzs
and south Of the salt lake. west q
Pont Du Eahs, but First Army III
fantTy and tanks captured SID Mar
rour Hill, six miles east Of Bon
Arada,
(Radio Algiers said that 0e Axis
tanks were knocked out after the
enemy threw In its main tank re-
serve in TuniSia In defense Of the
road 10 Pont Du Fahs)
An Allied spokesman said thas
the Germans had committed muze OF
their armored strength to stopping
the British First Army tank attack
southeast of NedjeE and were nov
fighting &C out' in an effort 10 pre-
vent an Allied break Through.
The Pont Du Fahs junction Is 0ne
Of the main keys to Tlnis ana "a
outstanding victory for the British
In the Sehkret-E Kourxia battle
probably would advance the Allies
far toward their goal. The British
had smashed eastward from the
Medjez-Bou Arada road last week
for about seven miles on q line
north Of the salt lake but encoun-
tered sitter opposition south Of the
lake. "a German broadcast said
that American troops were seen
moving into the front opposite Point
Du Fahs last week-end(
Then the Nazi armor was thrown
into q counter-attack. A greater
wedge Of British tanks was sent in-
to the battle and the French 10th
Corps, holding o hinge position
where the front swings eastward 10
the coast, made general advance,
forcing the enemy out OF q saliene
that endangered the British.
The French aided by an Algez1an
and q Moroccan division. took five
hills-Djebel Artoug Fl Hanechs
Hanslur, Bou Kril, Menassir ana
Edjehaf.
Farther east, on the coastal 'front.'
the British Eighth Army again was
attacking north Of Enfidaville on
the road to Bou Fiche and cleaning
out enemy positions on hills that
had been by-pasSeda The British
captured the strategic hill Oe DIE
bel Terhouna. about three miles
from Enfidaville, OH Friday night
and took SO prisoners.
They also made slight advances
farther west and are now something
less than IS miles from Tunis.
CThe German cofs1munique today
reported that the Allied attempts
10 break through the Tllnisian irons
had been stopped with heavy losses
in violent fighting in which thu
10th panzer division, the Hermann
Goering division and the grenadleE
regiment 457 participated. The Ital~
ian cOmmuniqle said that heavy at
tacks In northern Tlinisia had teen
"bravely repulsed.")
The western front was the moss
-, nm1m