The Waterbury Democrat. [volume] (Waterbury, Conn.) 1917-1946, 1943-02-01
BRITISH CROSS
TUNICIA BORDER
CONTINUED from Page i

Allied quarters never confirmed
those reports.
The Germans made another I'm
successful attempt to move SOUTH
westward from Pont Du Fahs, In |
central Tunisia, to Robaa. They
sent their new Seton Mark-VT |
tanks into action against British
held positions. The Mark-vI's,
equipped with the deadly 88-nnill-
irneter guns, were knocked out and
four other machines were destroyed
by the British who suffered only q
slight loss Of ground.
Air activity increased. Liberators
consolidated B-24's) Of the Ninth
u. 8. Air Force In the Middle East
attacked the harbor installations
at Messina, Sicily, In daylight yes
terday. Two formations raided the
port for several hours, scoring direct
hits on the railway and ferry term
inal and on the North Quay and
railway sidings.
One enemy aircraft which rose to
attack was shot down by its own
anti-aircraft batteries, an Amer
lean comrnunique disclosed. At least
three fighter planes were damaged
in a formation which attacked the
second Liberator formation.
It was announced in Cairo that
high-scoring USAAF fighting
group operating in the Tripolitan-
ian desert had destroyed: up to Jan.
%: IS enemy aircraft and probably
destroyed 10 others, the official an
r1ouncement credited the American
flyers with 46 Ia planes damaged.
Allied general headquarters here
reported that American army planes,
supporting the Allied forces against
the Germans trying to widen their
corridor and seize all good ohserva-
ton points had destroyed about 20
enemy tanks and some infantry
trucks.
The main force Of the Eighth
Array occupied Zuara, "a miles west
f Tripol and SO miles from Tunisia
yesterday, after smashing q de-
termined German rear guard stand
intended to give Field Marshal Err
win Rommel's Afrika Korps addi-
tional time to make good its re-
treat.
Today's Cairo communique said
the eighth Army was now in con-
tact with the enemy west Of ZuarA
but dispatches indicated that the
forward elements had reached Tu-
y1isia on the coastal road while q |
thanking force Of tanks and armored
'!ars was inside 1t to the south.
Planes Of the American 18th Air
r nee hammered the. Germans
steadily along the coastal corridor
and the planes Of the British Md |
die Eastern Command concentrated |
on enemy shipping and targets in |
Sicily, the Axis reinforcement base. |
Destroyer Hit
The Cairo community said Q d. |
rect hit had been scored by torpedo |
carrying planes on an enemy des-
troyer cff Italy's Pantelleria Island.
on the east coast Of Tunisia, and |
left 1t listing. Small enemy ships |
were attacked off the Tunisian coast |
with good results.
planes were badly damaged by AL
lied heavy bomberS which fought |
of in an attack on the Messina area |
Of Sicily.
Three Allied planes were reported
missing from all operations.
Moroccan dispatches gave the re-
port that at least two Eighth Army |
advanced columns were now In Tu-
nisia.
A big concentration Of Colonel |
General Jurgen Won Arnim's Tuni.
sian army fiercely attacked the AL
lied line 40 miles to the northwest,
In the Sfax-Faid area, in an at
tempt to widen the corridor which
the enemy forces hold along the
Tunisian east coast.
Allied tanks and infantry were
sent into action yesterday to aid the
French against whose lightly held
Lines the Germans had made adj
vances Of six miles or more.
American planes inflicted heavy
losses on the attacking Germans,
dispatches said, and set - tanks
and ~ trucks ablaze in only two of
six big offensive sweeps over the
east coast area. Many other vehicles
were hit and damaged.
A French communique, reporting
violent German tank attacks, said
the enemy had made only small
gains for which 1t paid with severe
losses. It was noted that Allied
planes and armored forces had en-
tered the action yesterday and said
a number of enemy tanks had been
destroyed. Earlier an Allied COM
munique reported fighting still in
progress.
Dispatches from Egypt said fierce
Senussi warriors of Libya had now
Joined General Sir Bernard Mont
gomery's Eighth British Army, adj
vancing into Tunisia, in hope of
getting crack at the Italians. Dur
ing the days when they were 'Pa.
cifying" Libya the, Italians perSe.
cuted the Senussi mercilessly. En-
tire tribes, men, women and chill
dren, were robbed of their fiocks
and driven into the desert to die Of
thirst and hunger.
Senussi Organized
Several battalionS of Senussi
troops have been organized, it was
reported, as the Libyan Arab force,
with few British officers and nom
commissioned officers.
Spanish advices from Africa re-
ported that the Germans In their
several attacks on the Allied lines
IN TuniSia were hoping to capture
Maktar, 80 miles west Of Sousse and
about the same distance southwest
Of TuniS.
Their attacks on the French line
also seemed aimed at getting Sbeit-
Ia, Is miles south-southwest Of |
Maktar.
$1,000 DAMAGE
SHIT NETTT IN |