Evening star., 1943-01-26
British Forces Drive 30 Miles,
Selling Town as Fighting French
Reach TripoIi to Join in Battle
Activity in Tunisio
Is Restricted by
Bad Weather
Ey the Associated Press.

I6lSllGleSSly WeStWdIu from imp
oil in pursuit of Marshal Erwin
Rommels forces, a vanguard Of
the British 9Th Army has occu-
pied the small coStal town of
Zauia about 80 miles west of
Tripoli, while a Fighting French
column from the African interior
has reached Tripoli to join the
approaching battle for Tunisia.
British spokesmen emphasized
that the official commmique an
nouncing the occupation of Zauia
placed the advanced elements of
Gen. Sir Bernard L. Montgomery
pursuing army still over so miles
from che Tunisian frontier, toward
which Marshal Rommel's troops
were racing under fierce aerial
haraSsment.
Dispatches from Cairo said part
of Marshal Rommels forces still
were struggling through zuara, IS
miles west of Tripoli, yesterday
and that ship in the harbor which
was attempting to take off Axis
troops was struck by bomb.
The Fighting French of Brig. Gen.
Jacques LIE Clerk announced in
triumphant communique that they
had reached Tripoli to join their
British allies after a 1,500-mile drive
over the desert from the Lake Chad
region of Equatorial Africa. This
column began its march northward
80 days ago and fought several bat
Ties with the Italian Libyan garri-
sons en- route.
Weather Restricts Activity.
Bad weather restricted activity on
the Tunisian front, both on the
ground and in the air The Allied
headquarters communique reported
briefly that our forces continued to
operate toward the north in the
Ousseltia Valley" indicating that the
Allies were maintaining pressure IN
this region where a recent German
thrust has been halted.
The italians claimed the repulse
Of an Allied attack yesterday and
the capture of eight Allied trucks
with their crews. Between January
l8 and "a. the broadcast Italian
communique declared, more than
1000 Allied troops and l3' tanks
were captured and 10 guns destroyed
In the Tunisia fighting.
Allied planes raided several points
on Sicily during the day, the italians
reported, damaging buildings ana
killing at least two persons at AVoia,
near Syracuse.
A dispatch from Cairo said both
Allied air and land forces now were
concentrating their efforts on knock
ing out Axis airfields in Southern
Tunisia in order to blind Axis ground
troops and stif1e bombing attacks on
Allied communications.
Two important Axis airports IN
that area, at Medenine and at Ben
Gardane. have been bombed heavily
the last few days.
Americans Accept Dare.
While it was assumed that some
of Marshal Rommels forces already
had joined Gen. Juergen Won Arnim,
the vulnerability of the AXIS corri-
dor up the east coast of Tunlsia was
indicated yesterday when American
troops, accepting a dare, broke
through to Maknassy, only 35 miles
from the coastal road, and seized
30 Axis prisoners.
French troops, holding their posi-
lions in the important Ousseltia
sector of Central Tunisia, threw
back German attacks in the noun
tains to the east and, with the ar
rival of United States arnored
troops, strengthened their hold north
and northeast of the town, French
communique. said.
Marshal Rommel was believed to
have sent q stable force into the
Mareth line, which once guarded
Tunisia against the Italians, put
this move was believed by most Gb-
servers to be only delaying action
against the 9Th Army pounding west
ward toward the line.
Supplies Are Big Problem.
The greatest problem OF the Two
Axis armies in Tunisia will be in
getting supplies. The two main
ports open to them, Bizerte and
Tunis, are in the extreme north and
are under almost constant aerial
attack by Allied planes. The harbor
installations already are badly
smashed.
Heavier Allied bombings of Sicily
and all over Germany and Italy
were expected by many observers.
Il is even possible now. they said.
for bombers to leave England, blast
targets in Germany or Italy and
land in North Africa.
The airdromes on the North Af-
rican coasts, they said, make excel
lent bomber bases as they are rarely
made unusable by mist or fog.
The American thrust at MaknaSsy,
apparently a small operation de-
signed to test AXIS strength, was
made after German planes dropped