Evening star., 1943-04-20
Africa
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twin-engined Junkers bomber and
| two MeSSerSchmittS and lost seven
more of their own planes.
Not content with blasting the fly
ing freighters out of the air, the
dispatch said, the Allied airmen in
strong force pounded their landing
ground at Kourba in Tunisia, drop
ping bombs among number of other
transports and setting seven fires
Landing grounds at Soliman and
Creteville. 10 and II miles. respec-
lively, southeast CT Tunis, also were
bombed Sunday night.
On the ground the Germans
mounted counterattack in the
central sector against French forces
holding Oued Kebir, south of Bou
Arada, but the French beat off the
assault easily.
The communique said there was
patrol activity elsewhere, but the
fact that news was meager from the
land fronts was not taken as an
indication that no fighting was
going on
The Italian communique, recorded
by the Associated Press from a
Rome broadcast, said there was vio-
lent artillery fire along the front,
and the Berlin radio said there was
lively activity in which several local
enemy attacks" were turned back.
No Sign Of Big Evacuation.
Well-informed military quarters
in London said there were no signs
of wholesale Axis evacuation of mill
tary forces from Tunisia despite the
shooting down of transports loaded
with military personnel. The pas
sengers may consist largely of spe-
cialists no longer needed in Africa, it
was suggested.
In fact. the German counterat-
tack and the scale of the continued
air war were taken as indications
that the Germans were determined
to hold the Tunisian bridgehead
standing as a guard to the stepping
stones to the European mainland.
Bad weather restricted Allied
aerial forayS to some extent yester-
day, but Flying Fortresses found a
hole in the clouds to pound the docks
and railroad yards at Tunis. and the
night and day assault on Luftwaffe
nests kept going.
American Mitchells and Havocs
escorted by Spitf1res, twice blasted
La Sebala Airdrome, 8 miles north
of Tunis.
Airdrome Is Attacked.
Raj Bisleys and French bombers
carried out night attacks on La
| Marsa Airdrome, 10 miles northeast
of Tunis on the coast, and also at
| tackled Protville ,El Kantara), IA
miles north of Tunis.
Americans in WarhaWks ac-
counted for large part of the sue
cess in shooting down 7O~Junkers
transports in the last two days. The
wreckage of transports and fight
ers covered the beaches of Northern
Tunisia much as burned debris lit
tered Britain's beaches in 1910.
These night attacks were. aided by
naval aircraft which dropped flares
to light the targets, it was disclosed
AS result of the round the -clock
attacks, it was said, German and
| Italian air defenders must stand on
a 24-hour basis. which was certain
to exact heavy fatigue toll.
Violent Artillery Fire.
The Italian communique broad
cast by the Rome radio and re-
corded in London, said there was
violent artillery hre along the Tu-
nisian front and that air activity
was intense"
The death toll from the RAF
Sunday night raid on the Italian
Navy base at Spezia was listed at
dead and so injured, the Rome
radio said
The Italian announcement also
declared an Allied submarine had
been sunk in the Tyrrhenian Sea
after long chase by an antisub-
marine boat.
The German communioue also
said there was lively activity in
the Tunisian mountains and said
several local enemy attacks" had
been repulsed.
Nazis Claim 13 Planes.
The Berlin radio asserted the
German air force destroyed 13 AL
lied planes yesterday in Tunisia.
1t also declared German bomber
formation carried out successful
raid against barracks and airfield
installations in the Southern Tu-
nlsian coastal area.
The Allied air forces, emphasiz-
ing their supremacy over Tunisia
and the Mediterranean with their
Furnishing blows to Axis air strength,
furnished token of what they can
do both to the Axis aerial supply
lines and to whatever hope the
Germans may have of taking anv
sizable portion of their army out
of Tunisia by plane
The British radio quoted Swiss
reports that all civilians, dock in
stallations and war industries of
Sicily are to be transferred to Italy's
mainland. CHS heard the broad
cast.