Evening star., 1943-03-05
Allied Forces Retoke Sedjenone
As Air Power Continues to Rise;
81 More Towns Seized by Reds
Americans in Central
Tunisiu Consolidate
Their Positions
By the Associated Press.

By the Associated Press.
Forty-ton Churchill tanks of
the British 1st Army were re-
ported today to have thrown the
Germans out of Sedjenane, about
40 miles west of BiZerte in
Northern Tunisia. as the Allied
air forces mounted a sweeping
offensive in evident preparation
for bigger things to come.
Sedjenane is a little village Il
miles south of the sea on the Ma
teur- -Tabarka road.
Field reports at Allied headquar-
ters said the forces of Col Gen
Jurgen Won Arnim were held in
check after stiff street fighting
Four Axis Ships Sunk.
American bombers sank four Axis
vessels from a siX-ship convoy be-
tween Sicily and Tunisia yesterday
and shot up German and Italian
motor transport at Djedaida. II
miles west of Tunis, in an aerial
accompaniment to the ground
fighting.
In Central Tunisia American
troops, reported yesterday within
three miles of Faid Pass, starting
point of Marshal Erwin Rommels s
recent offensive, were consolidating
their position, an Allied commu-
nique announced.
Farther south, French forces oc-
cupied Nefta. near the northwestern
end of the Chott Djerid. salt lake,
and pushed on toward Gafsa, so
miles to the east. the communique
said. The Fighting French said
their troops had joined Gen. Henri
Giraud's Frenchmen in the action
threatening the rear of the Mareth
Line
Patrols "Very Active"
Allied patrols were officially de-
scribed as very active" before the
Mareth Line, and dispatches from
advanced bases in Tripolitania
hinted that the Allied aerial often
sive was in preparation for fresh
plunge by Gen. Bernard L. Mont
gomery's British 9th Army.
Red-nosed Warhawks from the
east joined with Flying Fortresses
and Lightnings from the west to put
on an American blasting of Axis air.
fields from one end of Tunisia to the
other in an effort to knock out the
enemy's air power. The waves of
bombers and fighters were followed
by fast night bombers.
The Italians announced that Ma
ples, Salerino and San Vitallano.
where six persons were killed, were
bombed by the Allies, but claimed
counterblows at the Allied ports OF
Bougie and Philippeville.
Contact With Axis Troops.
Allied reconnaissance patrols es-
tablished contact with Axis troops
entrenched along high ground in
some strength on line running
north and south of Faid Pass. dis
patches said
Some so miles north French rifle
men drove off German patrols in
the mountainous area miles north
west of Ousseltia.
A military source said one British
battalion of the American-supp
ed 1st Army was cut off in the early
stages of the Sedjenane fighting
but fair number fought their
way back to our lines
The fighting has been both heavy
and violent he said The enemy
has paid a big price for small gains
without attaining the true objec-
tive In the last few days we have
collected many hundreds of prison.
ers."
Medjez -El-Bab Held.
Despite incres sed fighting on the
outskirts of Mediez-El- Bah, that
town-35 miles southeast of Eedje-
name and an equal distance south
west OF Tunis-remained in Allied
hands. Artillery batteries shelled
enemy positions on the ridges
northeast.
Two companies of German infan-
try, supported by Is tanks. made
several thrusts toward Beja 25 miles
northwest of Medjez-El-Bab and %
NiiA4N" Soueii Va LSoJoiioiio' buI "eit
stopped in their tracks by British
small-arms fire, dispatches said
Flying Fortresses assaulted the
AXIS convoy. They intercepted the
six ships sailing eastward miles
northwest of the Bizerte Naval Base
Observers said their bombs, in addi-
ton to sinking the four, damaged
the other two Accompanying
Lightning lighters damaged three
Messerschmitt 109s, which had been