Henderson daily dispatch. (Henderson, N.C.) 1914-1995, 1943-05-08
Allies Plan
To DESTROY
Enemy Army
French Populace of
Tunis Showers Allied
Tanks With Flowers;
Thousands of Prison
ers Taken

Allied Headquarters III North
Africa, May S-(AP)-United
States and British troops press
ed hard today upon Axis rem
nantS driven from their strong
holds at BiZertc and Tunis in
spectacular 3G-hour offensive,
and French forces took over
Pont-du-Fahs and high ground
to the east to roll up the right
wing Of the enemy's southern
front.
MANY prisoners and much
equipment has already been Cap
tured, but exact figures are not
yet known" it was announced
in a communique from General
Dwight D. Eisenhower's head
quarters. "Thc advance con-
tinueS.'
The surprisingly abrupt conquest
of TuniS and Bizcrte. achieved by
missing of overwhelming superior
forces OF men, tanks. guns and planes
came one day short OF six months
after the Allied landings in North
Africa.
Allied land. air and naval
forces are bent upon one thing
destruction of the last vestigc of
the Axis forces in Africa as
prelude to carrying the war
across the Mediterranean and
into Europe.
With liaiSOn severed between
the survivors Of Bizcrtc and
TuniS garriSOuS. and the south
ern front yielding before attacks
of the British First Army and
the 10Th French groups. the cam
paign was in its final bloody
stage.
Allied airmcH. who provided I'M
prcCcdcntcd aerial support for the
ground offensive. sank fourteen
small craft. set a destroyer aflamc
and damaged several other vessels
in the Gul! and harbor of Tunis. and
sank three more vessels AT the en-
trance Of TuniS harbor. the COM
muniQuc said.
This followed up widespread at
tackS Thursday in which further re-
ports disclosed three Axis dcstrOycrs
were sunk and three others damag-
ed ard % vessels were sunk in at
tacks on SiCilian ports.
Light and medium bOmbcrs. fight
crS and fighter bOmbcTs of the tao
teal air force kept up intense at
tHCkS on roads c0ngcStCd with enemy
starting numerous fires" the COM
troops. destroying many vehicles and
muniqUc said. Enemy mir fields
near TuniS We're attacked"
The Commuuiqur said that ar
morcd elements of the British
First Army entered TuniS at ESQ
y. m. Yesterday after having adj
vanccd some % miles in Sc hours
against stiff resistance. including
many mine fields.
"In the north. troops of the
second I. $. Army Corps had
cleared the important town of
Fcrryvillc by ! y. m. and ut i:15
p. M. their forward elements
entered Bizcrtc." the bulletin
said.
Isolated groups Of Axis soldiers
fought overnight; in the narrow
streets and thiCk-walcd houses of
Tunis and Bizcrtc in an effort TO
win a few hours rcpricvc for col
INNS fleeing eastward in Cluudcd
jumbo along INC Tow northern ROADS
still in enemy hands.
hirmcn who struck nj ship
ping in the Straits of Sicily said
they saw number Of boats
carrying troops heading for ST.
cily. indicating partial evac-
uation was being attempted. but
IL was on small scale and a
large percentage Of the ships are
being sunk. II appeared most
probable that the Axis could not
attempt a large scale evacuation.
A delayed dspatch from Bize~tc
by Harold V. Boyle. Associated Press
correspondent. said happy French
residents Of that naval base show
cred flowers upon American tankg
which led the thrust into the city,
wCpt with JOY and waved their fin
gers high in the V sign for victory.
a company Of U. s. tanlimcn and
Two companies of tank dcsirnyers
made tho initial entry. sweeping in
from the Southern area under ar
tillery fire. The flowers ~ the
French were removed about ten min
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