Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1943-01-28
American Casualties
In 1unisia Total 1,258,
Stimson Announces
Says U, S. Planes
Hold 81 Victory Edge
In All Combat Areas

American military casualties in
Tunisia have totaled 1858 men
killed, wounded and missing
since the start of the North Afri-
can campaign, Secretary of War
Stimson said today.
Mr.. StimSon disclosed the number
Of casualties in pointing out at his
weekly press conference that while
the Roosevelt Churchill parleys were
taking place at Casablanca, our
leaders were greatly heartened by
successes of the Allied campaigns
on every front"
The Tunisian casualties consist of
211 killed, 532 wounded, 226 taken
prisoners and 289 missing.
Mr.. Stimson declared that the
dramatic conference at Casa
blanca" speaks for itself, and that
he had nothing to add to its self
evident significance"
Gives Results of Raid.
The Secretary said the operations
in North Africa were primarily
military operations" and for that
reason he would refrain from an
swering any questions dealing with
the political problem with which the
conference dealt.
Revised reports of the recent ar
mored raid by American forces
against enemy positions in Central
Tunisia showed these results He
said: Two United States soldiers
were killed ard two tanks were lost:
the enemy had 25 killed and $50 men
taken prisoner.
Remarking that "our air forces
had been brilliantly successful in
all theaters," Mr. Stimson said that
during the last II months of 1912
Army flyers have destroyed enemy
planes at a ratio of more than
three to one in all combat areas.
Omitting plane statistics for jan
uary, he disclosed that in the IL
month period American pilots def
nitely shot down 987 enemy planes
of all types and probably" &C
counted for So others, at a loss of
only 309 of our own. Full January
figures are not yet available.
A breakdown showed of the 300
American planes lost 10 were
bombers, 1874 fighters and IS mis-
cellaneous types, which would in
| clude transport planes.
On the other hand enemy losses
included 480 bomberS shot down and
226 "propables." 294 fighters shot
down and rs ''probables" and 213
planes of all types definitely lost
and 81 probably" lost.
Detailing air combat results for
December 1912, Mr.. Stimson ex-
planned that the figures on enemy
| losses were confined to aerial COM
! bat, but the American losses includ-
ed planes shot down by anti-air-
| craft fire
In December, air activity in
creased sharply, due, largely to the
North African campaign. In that
month, Army flyers around the
world shot down 326 enemy planes
and probably destroyed 90, while
losing only SO. BY types of Amer
lean Army planes, the score was:
Bombers, l45 shot down, IS prob
ables, 81 lost: fighters, SO shot
down, 10 probables, 10 lost.
Outlines Good News"
The Secretary outlined these
facets of what he described as con-
tinued good news:
l. The German authorities were
beginning to speak publicly about
their defeat in Russia where, Mr..
StlmSon said, the Russian stand at
Stallngrad and the subsequent Red
Army reSurgence may we'll have
been one of the decisive battles of
history
2. Marshal Erwin Rommel's Axis
troops in Tripolitania were in full
flight having abandoned Tripoli
without fight. At lease one divi-
sion had entered Tunisia.
BY the Associated Press.
NaZi Thrust Repulsed.
3. French and American troops in
Tunisia had repulSed a German
thrust designed to widen Rommel's
corridor Of retreat
| 4. Gen. Douglas MacArthur's
forces in New Guinea, completing
the Papuan campaign, had elimi-
mated the japanese from eastern
New Guinea.
| 5. In the Solomon Islands, Ameri-
can troops were steadily narrowing
the area occupied by the japanese,
and considering the number of
troops involved were inficting heavy
causualties on the enemy.
6, Allied aircraft, both bombers
(see sT1MSON, Page A-5D