Evening star., 1943-03-26
9Th Army Gains
MoreGround
In Mareth Area
RommeI's S Blows
Weaker; Patton
Holds Positions
BY the Associated Press.

BY the Associated Press.
ALLIED HEADQUARTERS IN
NORTH AFRICA, March 26. -
Battering down fierce enemy re-
Slstance, Gen. Sir Bernard Mont
gomery's infantrymen have wor
new ground in the Mareth sector
of the Southern Tunisian front
1t was announced today.
The six day-old struggle of the
British 9th Army to shatter the
Mareth Line defenses apparently
has not yet reached anything like
decision. but the counterbloWs
mounted in midweek by Field Mar
shal Erwin Rommel have fallen off
Americans from the command of
1t. Gen. George S. Patton, jr., re-
pulsed a minor German infantry
attack at Djebel Berda, some 20
miles southeast of Gafsa, and held
firmly to this mountain on the south
side of Ell Guetaria Pass. Another
enemy attack was made on the hillv
slopes about TWO miles south of Bou
Hamran, itself l9 miles east OF
Gafsa.
There has been no official infor-
nation for two days concerning the
9th Army's desert column which
passed around the southern eX-
tremitv of the Mareth Line in a
sweeping Ranking maneuyer and
was last reported to be eight miles
from Ell HANNA, the Axis air base
20 miles west of Gabes.
Maintain Threat to Pass.
Gen. Patton's armored and in
fantry detachments maintained
their threat from El Guetaria Pass
and through Maknassy against
Rommel's coastal escape corridor
but have been unable for 43 hours
to drive forward.
In the MaSnaSsy area the Amer
leans were IN contact with Axis
troops in two rugged passes of the
Orbata Range. miles southeast of
MaknaSsv and 10 miles southeast
of Sened Station.
Until the entrenched enemy is
driven completely from the Orbata
Range, which flanks the Gafsa-
Mahares railway for miles. and
Axis pressure against Ell Guetaria
Pass. near the southwest edge of
these hills, is broken the Americans
seem slated for a series of small
stubborn engagements.
Numerically superior Allied air
forces pressed their attacks vester-
day despite 8 hint that storms were
brewing.
Record Number of S0rties.
Allied flyers established a record
number of SOrties in Central and
Northern TuniSia Fourteen enemy
planes were officially announced as
destroyed, while the Allies reported
six of their own were missing
IAN Al9iers radio broadcast
said the 9th Army made some
advance in the Ell HANNA area.
rendering the position of the
Africa korpS difficult
(The British radio. in a broad
cast recorded in New York bv
CHS. quoted the Algiers station
as saying further that Axis
COuntera ttaCkS had been smashed
IN this region and the British
forces had completed occupation
Of hill overlooking the whole
OF the GabeS plain"
tThiS was A reference to the
British flanking movement
No Major Attacks.
There was little activity in the
Gafsa and MaknasSy sectors, where
the enemy made local demonstra-
tions, but no ma ior attacks de-
veloped," the Allied Communiuue
said.
The Algiers radio. in a broad
cast prior to the issuance of the
communique, said American
troops we're continuing their ad-
vance southeast of El Guetar and
also made local gains in the
Maknassy zoneD
The communique said Axis ac-
tivity was increased in the northern
sector Of the lst Army.
Our patrols were active and in
flicted casualties on an enemy patrol
in the area southeast of Mediez-
EI-Bab." the bulletin announced.
yesterday bombers, fighter bomb
ers and fighters maintained attacks
on air fields, vehicles and other tar
gets behind the enemy lines" the
communique said in relating the air
offensive against the Axis. Enemy
aircraft were more active yesterday
In the course of many combats 13
enemy aircraft were destroyed, OF
them by fighters of the western
desert air force.
Bombers Attack Sousse.
Heavy bombers attacked the
docks at SouSse, sinking one small
vessel and scoring hits on a larger
one. Fighters attacked barges of
the TuniSian coast
(AXis communicates testified to
the bitterness of the conflict The
italian war bulletin broadcast
from Rome and recorded by the
Associated Press, said renewed
Allied attacks were repellSi and
losses inflicted on the enemy Tin
(See AFRICA. Page A-5D
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