The Waterbury Democrat. [volume] (Waterbury, Conn.) 1917-1946, 1943-02-24
Enemy Harassed By Aale'
lean and British Troops
and Planes
GERMANS GIVEN WORST
TUNISIA FASTING YET
Many Prisoners Captured
Battle Scene Rearing
Hell Of Explosions
BIZ YTRGIL PENKLEY

ANE4A+
united Press Staff CUrrespdonaeni
Allied Headquarters, North
Africa, February "a. - (uF)
. Marshal Erwin Ronaiael 4
armored units are being
driven I'M retreat today to-
ward the KasSerine Pass,
harassed by Allied planes
and by American and British
troops which stopped the
enemy dead in his tracks in
a three-day battle.
The crack 2lst German armofed
unit, which rolled out Of the Kas@
serine Gap three days ago and
fought It's way to within four miles
Of the strategic town Of Thala, hss
been pushed back to an area Within
three miles Of the pass.
The Germans, over-reachlnR
themselves in the dash for Thala'
found their position there untenabIe
and began to retire early yesterday
As they fell back the Allied cir
force-apparently dominant in TIT
skies over the battle area-gave tie
retreating Germans the worst past
ing they have yet experienced g
Tunisia. II was similar In intensity
and volume to the air attack launch
ed by the Allies at FL Alamein when
General Sir Bernard L. Monta0ln<
ery's British Eighth Army Started
the offensive that has now carried
It to the Mareth Line.
Thus the tide Of battle in Tunisla
swung sharply In favor Of the Allies
with the German push exhausted
and with the Eighth Army, about
100 miles away from other Allied
forces in Tunisia, threatening Rom
mers flank from the south.
Prisoners Captured
Large numbers Of prisoners were
taken by the Americans and the
British. On the plain In front 81
Djebel Hanna alone the Americans
captured 500 Italians and enough
small arms and other weapons 70
equip a battalion.
The Germans made O desperate
attempt to disengage their ariuur
and infantry from the British ID
the Thala area. But the British
tracked them every step Of the way
In the retreat while American &
sillery blasted away at the German
columns that were winding bacl
along roads over which they ad.
vanced three days ago.
Then the Americans, timing their
action with the British, struck out
from the Djebel Hanna area and
forced the Axis troops back to with
In three miles of the Kasserine Gap.
The full extent of the German loss
es still are unknown, but 1t can he
definitely said they are considerable.
One factor in the German defeat
was that the bad weather broke
after 10 days, allowing the Allied
Air Force to get into action on
big scale.
The retreating Germans caustsE
. fury Of cannon fire, machine es.n
bullets and bombs from fiyina 1eE1@
resses. Mitchells, Marauders. Bos-
tons. and British and American
lighters.
The KaSserine Pass was q roaring
hell Of exploding bombs. Maraufief
bombers, escorted by L.ockheed
swung back and forth
over the Pass, scoring direct hits osl
gun emplacements.
Flying fortresses ranged over q
The eastern side Of the pass ard
bombed q road choked with Axis
vehicles. The fortresses also struck
1t the town Of Kasserine itself ard
inflicted severe damage ON 3 coiaMn
Df German motor transport which
got itself bottlenecked in : nartoH
street.
CONTINUED on Page a