Evening star., 1943-02-22
Issue in Doubt
Following Big
Tank Battle
MAP on Page 4 s. J
b. the Associated Press.


NORTH AFRICA. Feb. 22.-f
strong German armored force
thrust II miles northWestWarc
through Kasserine Gap in the
direction of Thala early today
and engaged an Allied tank unit
In violent battle, while hmeri-
can combat troops turned back
two lesser thruSts westward
toward TebesSa.
Thala is 18 miles east of the
Algerian frontier
United States and British forces
knocked out IA Nazi tanks during
heavy fighting yesterday and last
night under a bright moon. but one
German column of more than 70
tanks thrust to within miles of
Thala, junction in the Allied lines.
Ronmel was gambling desperately
In an effort to score a knockout
blow against the British 1st Army
before the British 9Th Army could
neutralize his Mareth Line and push
into the Central Tunisian theater.
On the edge Of vast plateau 8
miles from Thala, British and
United States forces were engaged
in violet night and day tank
battle, with the issue still in doubt.
British armored crews challenged
the German tank column in an
action which developed after the
events mentioned in today'S COM
munique.
Strong Axis Attack Held.
The communique. referring to yes
terdays fighting, said a strong Axis
attack northwest Of KasSerine was
successfully held by Allied forces
after heavy fighting in which the
enemy suffered casualties and tank
losses" while other enemy tank and
infantry attacks were repulsed south
of Sbiba. itself 80 miles northwest of
the village of KaSSerine and Is miles
due east of Thala.
Allied spokesman said two German
tank thrusts with a total of about so
tanks from Kasserine gap. which the
Germans captured Saturday, toward
the Algerian base of TebeSSa-one
by road and the other along the
Hatob River-Were hurled back
almost 10 miles by American armored
troops, who inflicted heavy losses.
Gan associated Press dispatch
from holland Norgaard told how
the Americans evaded a care
fully-prepared tank ambush in
the broad valley of the Hatob
River to drive back the Nazis
The bait for the ambush was
five Mark " TANKS, which were
placed motionless and exposed on
an elevation of the gently rolling
valley floor. Carefully concealed
batteries Of 88 nm. guns were
emplaced to open fire when
American tanks struck
CThe American ignored the
bait)
Other enemy attacks were re-
ported to have been repulsed near
the Allied base of Medjez- -El-Bab,
more than rs miles to the north.
The Thala drive started early to-
6ay-too late to be included in the
daily communique.
In the earlier actions against
Shiba, about 90 German tanks took
the road from the pass and about
90 struck out along the Hatob River
Valley.
Germans Hurled Back.
The German groups were about
10 miles along the road toward
Sbiba when they were met and
hurled back almost to the mouth OF
the CKasserine) gap by an American
combat team" a competent source
said.
Reports Of the subsequent action
show the Germans first drove west
ward "a maneuver suggesting an Of
fensive against Tebessa), with about
so tanks, and, when this battle was
well under way, sped their major
force north straight for Thala
Near this key town they were met
by British tank units and an Amer.
ican armored force and driven bach
a few miles in the engagement still
under way.
The German high command,
in q communique broadcast from
Berlin, said strong British tank
formations had been beaten back
cast of TebeSSa. The Italian high
command communiQue, broad
cast from Rome, said Axis troops
had captured additional positions
and numerous prisoners and de-
stroYed several dozen tankS)
While the Nazi threat to Allie,
forces in the north was great, Rom
mel himself was in a dangerous posi-
ton because if Allied troops still en-
gagged in the area Of Kasserine Pas
should be able to reclose the gap tn
10 tanks and large numbers of Na2
infantry would be completely cut of
Thala, a highway center. lies l
miles east of the Algerian frontie
and 35 miles northeast of Tebesss
A detachment of Col Gen. Jurge,
Won Arnim's army apparently wa
attempting TO create a diversion i
the attack near Medjez-El-B Bal
aimed against an Allied-held hi
but it met with no success whatever
American Withdrawal
Rommel sent his infantry ant
armored units plunging into Kas
Serlne Pass and forced the Amer
leans to make a new withdraw
over the week end
But the British 9th Army was re
ported in Cairo to be moving rapid
into action in a nOrthWard thruS
which may soon demand Rommel'
urgent attention.
The 9th Army, these reports said
moved into Medenine, an importan
communications center in front O
the Mareth Line and only 10 mile
southeast OF Gabes, and then thruS
nOrthwestward toward the village c
Mareth.
These reports were not con-
flrmed by the communique of the
9Th Army. but a Reuters dis
See AFRICA, Page A-4D