The Waterbury Democrat., 1943-04-12
Enemy Intends Last Ditch
Battle to Delay Euro
pean Invasion
BRITISH PENETRATE
HEAVY NINE FIELDS
Germany Flying Afrikan
Contingent to Greece and
Italy Says Chs
BY VIRGIL PINKLEY

BY VIRGIL PINKLEY
UNITED Press Staff Correspondence
Allied Headquarters, North
Africa, April IL. - (UPl -
The British Eighth Army
seized SouSSe, last AxiS-held
supply port on the TuniSian
east coast and pressed
northward in pursuit of Zee
ing Italo-G German armies TO-
day while Allied forces 80
miles to the west occupied
the holy city of Kairouan.
Speeding 46 miles in the last 2e
hours, General Sir Bernard L. Mont
gomery's victorious Eighth Army
troops passed through Sousse "a
$3.50 a, m. today after 0verwhelnl~
ing light rear-guard opposition and
penetrating heavy mine fields.
The Allied advances along thu
coast as well as in the mountains
to the west were accompanied hM
renewed air attacks that destroyed
many enemy vehicles and brougha
down 81 enemy aircraft In another
clash with Axis fighters and JU-Bz
air transports over the Sicilln1n
Straits. The interception Of ona
envy air supply ships again was
made by American Lightning fight
erS. who shot down 20 JU-52 txanG@
ports in the last week.
IO0-AEile Retreat
Nazi Marshal Edwin Romznelsa
battered Afrika KorpS, fleeing 100
miles northward since Friday. now
was driven back within the forces
under Gen. Jurgens Won Arnim IA
the strong Semi-circular mountains
positions before TuniS and Blzertes
where they apparently intend te
fight a bitter, last-ditch battle de-
signed to delay the Allied invasion
Of Europe as long as possible.
The capture Of SouSSe and Kai~
rouan reduced the last Axis bases
south Of the mountains guarding the
outer approaches to Ttlnis and Biz
zerte. The Eighth Army was lesA
than Is milueS short of Enfidaville,
eastern adchor OF the mountain
line.
The British First Army. to the
northwest, already was driving into
the mountain baStion from the west
within 30 to 20 miles Of both Tunis
and Bizerte.
Todax,s communiQe issued from
headquarters of Gen. Dwight y.
Eisenhower told of reduced but stiu
heavy aerial operations against the
fleeing enemy columns, against the
port of TuniS where a large ship
was hit by flying fortress bombs and
against MARSHA and Trapani. in
Sicily. where many hits were made
on docks and ships, starting fires.
Three ships were hit at Trapani.
In all, at least four ships were die
rectly hit and a barge was sunk
by the fortreSSes.
Allied airplanes again made Q rec
ord Of more than 1000 sorties by
fighters and bombers and brought
down a total Of II enemy planes
compared TO II Allied aircraft loGe
on Sunday.
On the ground, the communiqua
said the Eighth Army was meeting
little opposition as It made giant
strides Of more than 20 miles 3 day
up the coastal road past S0uRgw
and toward Enfidayille, Is miles %
the north, where the rough country
side offers ROmmel a better defen>
sive position.
Fifty miles northwest Of Enfida~
Vile, the British First Army ana
French native troops under Lieut.
Gen. X. A. N. Anderson made adfii-
tiOnaI progress in the Medjez El
Bah sector.
South OF Medjez Fl Bah. French
troops advanced to capture high
ground in the Ousseltia Mountain
sector and British and American
arTnoned forces and infantry crash
ed through the FOndouk Pass and
seized the Moslem Holy City q
Kairouan, which Romnel had used
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