Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1943-12-05
By Howard p. Bailey.


of communication.
-Four days later the French, who had
moved up 1,500 miles from Lake Chad,
made contact with Montgomery and
Joined forces for the drive toward the
Mareth Line. Three days later Ameri-
can forces had captured Maknassy and
began to sing, prematurely, about march,
ing from "Maknassy to the Sea-"
On February came the announce
ment that Gen. Eisenhower had been
placed in command of all Allied troops
in Africa and few days thereafter, the
British opened up in full strength
against Rommel. BY this time, the enc
my was entirely out of Egypt, Cirenaica,
Libya and Tripolitania.
Then disaster almost wrecked the
master plan. With unexpected force,
Rommel struck at Faid Pass, using more
than 100 tanks and many dive bombers
to send the Americans Keeling back. The
following day the retreating Americans
reformed and recovered about 6 OF the
20 miles lost In the initial fighting, but
were forced to give up Gafsa.
Recapture 1000 Square Miles.
On the western front, the German
forces OF Gen. Won Arnim, who had re-
placed Nehring, pushed the Americans
back into the hills almost to the Algerian
border and menaced the main base at
Tebessa. In four days Of fighting. the
Germans recaptured about 1000 square
miles OF territory.
However, taking advantage Of the
shifting of German forces, Gen. Mont
gomery moved forward As miles in two
days to reach the outer strong points
OF the Mareth Line. Rommel's push at
Fald Pass was halted shortly thereafter
by the Americans and Montgomery in
the south. and Anderson, with the Brit
ish list in the north, began pressing at
the German tanks.
linen came what was to be the final
threat from the enemy Rommel broke
through Kasserine Gap and pushed for
ward to Ihola, Is miles to the north.
where the Americans put up a fierce
defense and in four days had driven
Rommel out of the gap and back toward
Gafsa.
Several efforts to smash the British
along the coast to the north failed and
then the trend changed and the Allies
assumed the initiative. The British LIST
captured Sedjenane, 40 miles west of
Bizerte; the Americans captured Pichon
In Central Tunlsia and regained Casa
and the British cleaned out all the
enemy southeast of the Mareth Line.
Montgomery Opens Attack.
The stage was set by that time, and
on March II Montgomery began the
assault against the Mareth Line while
French unit moving up west of Chott
ell DJerid approached a threatening posi-
ton on the German right flank.
On April 4 British column, making
its way across the desert, which Rom
mel had considered impossible, turned
the right end of the Mareth Line and
captured Ell HANNA back of the line.
AS Rommel retreated, he threw the
greater part Of his armored strength
against 1t. Gen. Patton's armored forces
at Ell Guitar and the Americans
y
pushed rapidly forward capturing about
one-fourth OF the Afrika Korps as he
moved beyond Gabes to Mahares, only
% miles from Sfax. The first American
advance units met up with the British
at this point.
Patton's second armored column, strik-
ing at the same time, captured Max
pCaip nd
back toward which Rommel quickly fell.
Further to the west a combined French
and American column launched a drive
toward Sousse, further up the coast be-
yond Sfax, and Rommel found himself
in the same predicament he faced at
Mareth and continued to retreat.
From then on the Allies kept up
constant offensive operations and
slowly the Nazis began to give way until,
finally, on May 3, Gen. Patton's Ameri-
can I'd Army Corps entered Bizerte and
Anderson's British 1st took Tunis The
remnants Of the Nazi Army, some 10000
men, fed to Cap Bon Peninsula but,
penned in by Allied armored units and
hopelessly cut off from rescue by the
Dlltioll lleet WHICH steamed OH SIOTe,
these 10000 surrendered bringing to an
end the African campaign.
Totaling the results, it was found that
the Axis had lost $4,000 men, including
II generals headed by Col. Gen. Won
Arnim, the tank expert; 5000 aircraft
shot out of the air and thousands of
others smashed on the ground, at least
$500 big guns, 1000 tanks and scores of
ships.
In exactly one day short of six months
after the landing of the first American
troops in Africa the campaign was
completed.