Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1943-01-14
Allies Score Advance in Tunisia;
Giraud Contacts Fighting French;
Reds Broaden Drive in Caucasus
Two Strategic
Heights Taken
Near Kuirouun

French troops, aided by the
new Lafayette Escadrille
equipped with P-40 fighters
blasted the Germans from two
strategic heights in the noun
tains about Is miles northwest
of Kairouan yesterday, it was
announced today at Allied head
quarters in North Africa.
The attack marked the first Of
fensive operation by Lafayette Esca-
drille flyers in the Tunisian theater
The first squadron of the organiza-
ton, composed of French aces who
shot down an average of seven OF
eight planes each in the brief bat
tie of France, arrived at a United
States fighter base Monday.
A French spokesman described
the gains as important. He said the
captured heights were Jebel Haout
and Jebel Bou Davouss, which jul
from the desert northeastward from
Pichon.
Algiers, an Allied base for the
Tunisian operations, had two air.
raid alerts last night.
A Reuters dispatch from NORTH
Africa said direct contact had beer
established between Gen. Henri
Honore Giraud's headquarters ane
the Fighting French of Brig. Gen
Jacques LeClerc-the first such liai-
son in the new phase of the African
war.
Message Delivered.
A message to Gen. Giraud from
Gen. LeClerc, who has cleaned up
the Fezzan desert area of Central
Libya in a drive northward from
Lake Chad, was delivered by liai-
son officer yesterday. the dispatch
said.
How the officer made the trip was
not disclosed, but he might have
flown or used an armored car escort.
A Berlin broadcast acknowledged
that the French had advanced along
a wide front in fighting among
spurs of the Atlas Mountains in
Central Tunisia, but asserted that
Axis counterattacks on the north
flank had driven them back be-
You'd their original positions.
Reports of the final result of
fighting on the southern wing are
not yet available" the broadcast
said.
Rommel Positions Raided.
Allied air squadrons swept out
yesterday to rain bombs on the
forward positions of Marshal Erwin
Rommel's Afrika Korps and en-
gagged in an aerial battle which saw
at least four Messerschmitt 100
fighter planes downed, British
communique at Cairo said today.
Eight planes failed to return from
bombing missions which began
Tuesday night, it was announced.
Enemy landing grounds and tar
gets near Misurata were bombed
Tuesday night, and there were ma
chine gun attacks on transport con-
voys in Tunisia and Tripolitania.
These attacks were followed up with
raids on the Tunisian port Of
Sousse, the communique said.
Merchant Vessel Hit.
A merchant vessel also was hit
off the Tunisian coast, it was re-
ported.
The air duel yesterday developed
over the target area, the British
reported.
Our escorting fighters, assisted by
at least four Messerschmitt 1905 and
damaged Others the communique
said.
Our fighters also carried out a
successful low-hying attack on a
landing ground"
Enemy air operations, it was said,
were principally defensive.
An indication of the strength the
Allies are building up for the COM
ing battles came in report that
the British Navy had successfully
escorted 971 transports, supply ships
and other vessels totaling 7,600,0
tons between Gibraltar and North
African ports from last November
s, when the AEF made its first land
ings, to January 8.
Only Offensive Actions.
The French operations northwest
of Kairouan, German-held COM
munications center southwest of
the Port of Sousse, were the only
offensive actions along the Tunisian
front Even this action was not
touched upon in an Allied force
communique.
There is no change in the ground
situation" it said.
Air activity was light. Our
fighters shot down one enemy
fighter without loss.
Last night two enemy bombers
were destroyed. 1t is now known
that one more enemy bomber was
destroyed January r."
so Italians Captured.
The French spokesman who told
of the action around Kairouan said
that 80 Italians were captured after
the French closed in on a valley
where fighting had been going on
for two days.
1t also was announced that a
Morocco division operating near
Kairouan had killed II Germans
and captured eight in local engage
ments.
A Spitfire pilot shot down a Ger
man plane from a number seeking
to attack an advanced air field and
the raiders were driven off, a
spokesman for the Raj announced.