Evening star., 1943-04-23
British 9th Army Takes Takrouna;
1st Army Advances in New Drive;
2OBigAxis Transports Shot Down
Gain of E Miles
Past EnfiduviIIe
Is Announced
(See Map on Page A-4.)

By the Associated Press.
ALLIED HEADQUARTERS IN
NORTH AFRICA, April 23.-The
British 9th Army has captured
Takrouna and pushed miles
from Enf1daville toward Bou
Ficha in twin drives northward,
and the British 1st Army has
advanced 3 miles against stub
born Axis resistance in the Bou
Arada sector on the Western Tu-
nisian front, it was announced
today.
These gains aground were coupled
with aerial action during which
Kittyhawks and Spitfires shot down
every one of 20 six-engined Mes
serchmitt 323s, some carrying troops
and others laden with freight, and
10 Of their escorting fighters en-
countered over the Gulf of Tunis.
The giant Messerchmitt trans
ports, which dwarf such carriers as
the Junkers SIS, on which Field
Marshal Erwin Rommel has relied
largely for reinforcements and sup
plies, are designed to carry 120
soldiers or almost 10 tons Of cargo.
The transports were carrying
gasoline and personnel to Tunisia
and "the entire formation" was de-
stroyed, an official statement said,
Ranked With Sunday Victory.
although not many aircraft were
shot down, the size and Importance
of this victory ranks alongside the
success of last Sunday when II
enemy planes, including SO Junkers
So transports, were destroyed in one
engagement" the air force an
nounced. j..
(The Junkers 50 is designed to
carry from 16 to 20 soldiers or
5000 pounds of cargo. 1t is
powered by three engines.
In all, 33 Axis planes were shot
down during the day, against an an
nounced loss of five Allied aircraft.
Four Allied planes were missing
after the Gulf of Tunis engagement,
in which British, South African and
Australian fighters co-operated to
cut down the transports, so large
that tanks and trucks may be driven
ainto their fuselages through opened
noses.
Eight Messerschmitt zoos and two
Italian fighters, Reggiane 201 and
a .Macch-202, were destroyed during
their vain attempt to defend the
transports until they could settle on
the landing fields dotting the area
about Tunis.
Largest Planes in Action.
The Messerschmitt 323s are the
largest planes in operation in this
war. They are high-winged mono
planes with a wing span of 180 feet,
almost twice that of the American
Flying Fortresses (Which measure
103 feet 9 inches). They contain
features of the Merseberg glider, at
tain maximum speed of 160 miles
an hour and have range of $50
miles.
Some of the gasoline carriers
burned long time after they went
down, an official statement said.
From those carrying personnel
scores of troops were seen to climb
out and struggle desperately in the
sea- it said
The battle with the transports
lasted less than 10 minutes. Flames
burst from many of the great car
riers as they were hit by the fighter
bursts. All the transports and the
10 fighters dropped in the sparkling
gulf, the sea approach to Tunis.
Troops who broke clear of the
wreckage were seen struggling in
the water.
The ground action again was on
a large scale.
Attack on Smile Front.
1t. Gen. K. A. N. Anderson's 1st
Army attacked on emile front
between Goubellat and Bou Arada,
south of Medjez-El- Bah, and push
ed eastward 3 miles to tighten the
pressure on the Germans and
Italians seeking to hold positions
along the Grand Dorsal Range to
protect Rommel's right rear. Re-
sistance, however, was described as
stubborn.
Gen. Sir Bernard Montgomery S
9Th Army fighters. after hours of
bayonet and grenade fighting, were
securely astride the two roads which
lead from captured Enfidaville
northward, one inland and the other
H'coastal route.
The fortified Takrouna Mountain
topped by Berber citadel, lies S
miles northwest of Enfidaville on
sthe inland route to strategic Tag
;houan, % miles air line south OF
Tunis.
The British vanguard on the
coastal road, in reaching a position
e miles north of Enfidaville already