Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1943-01-16
d Axis Planes
FeI|ed in Fierce
Tunisia Battle
Aerial Dogfiehting
Is Hottest Yet in
African Campaign
BY IVES GALLAGHER,

Associated Press War Correspondent.
ALLIED HEADQUARTERS II
NORTH AFRICA, Jan. 49,
American and Raj fighters ant
even bombers battled Axis air
craft in the biggest scale aeria
dogfighting of the Tunisial
campaign by day and night yes
terday, blasting % German ant
Italian planes from the skies, i
was announced today.
Aerial activity was intense owe
The entire Tunisian front.
More than half the toll was takel
In two actions. The Germans at
tempted to bomb advanced Allie,
airfleldS and lost seven planes.
Fifty Planes Engaged.
Then P-39 Lightnings and 3D.
Billy Mitchell bombers engaged 5
Axis transport planes off the Tu
nisian coast and shot down sever
more.
(On the Tripolitanian front
the British told of strongly in
creased patrol operations in
which casualties were inflicted
on Marshal Erwin Rommel's
forces in several sectors, and the
Italian high command reported
the outbreak of violent ground
fighting.
GA strong armored force of the
British 9Th Army was declared
by the German high command
today to have been repulsed in
an attempt to envelop the Ger
manhattan tank army from the
south in the battle of Libya.
(The Germans said the British
were driven off with a loss of IS
tanks. The German description
suggests repetition of the tao
tics which temporarily cut Mar
shall Rommel's retreating columns
In two west of Ell Agheila-a
swift British drive westward and
north via WAdi to the Med
iterranean coast.)
tThe italian report said tank
supported Allied forces were on
the attack again from the east
suggested that Gen. Sir Bernard
L. Montgomery's British 9th
Army may have launched a new
drive to roll Marshal Rommel
back to Tripoli from his present
holding positions along the Gulf
of Sirte)
Limited Ground Activity.
The Allied communique report.
Ing the Tunisian operations said
Ground activity was limited t.
patroling on both sides.
In the course of operations of
the Tunisian coast by Our medium
bombers and fighters, larg,
schooner was bombed and attack
were made on two escorted forma
tons of enemy transport planes.
Seven transports and two escort
Ing fighters were shot down. Othe,
medium bombers attacked roat
and rail communications nea
Gabes. Enemy fighters were en-
Countered. One Of them was de
Btroyed.
Last night six enemy bomber
were destroyed. During daylight at
tacks on our air fields seven enem,
aircraft were destroyed.
From all these operations eigh
Of our aircraft are missing"
(Tripoli was given another
blasting by Allied bombers Thurs
day night, it was said at Cairo.
and hits were reported on the
railway station and military
stores. Large fires were started.
Both the Tripoli harbor and road
functions were targets of the at
tack. The bombers returned yes
terday Cor another "large-scale"
attack and one MesSerschmitt
was reported shot down.
Two Alerts at Algiers.
AlglerS had two alertS during III
night and was treated to a displa
of aerial fireworks as light gun
went into action, but no damage wa
done.
The Lafayette Escadrille of tn
French fighting force claimed it
first enemy planes Of the campaign
The squadron's American bull
P-40s shot down two Messerschmit
zoos, repelling a raid on an airdrom,
Besides the planes shot down, !
more were damaged in the past 4
hours, a spokesman said.
He said the biggest single toll yes
terday was taken by B-25S an
P-38s which twice intercepted an
engaged what apparently was tn
same fighter-guarded fight of
transport planes
These we're flying southwest, ar
parently taking supplies to Marsht
Rommel's forces,
Five transports fell in flames i
the first attack Two more an
two fighters were shot down in tn
second.