The Waterbury Democrat. [volume] (Waterbury, Conn.) 1917-1946, 1943-04-14
Enemy Ground Forces Be-
ginning to Make Long
Expected Stand
ENFIDAVILLE CAPTURE
STILL NOT CONFIRMED
ROmmel's Afrika KOrpa
Reinforced By Many
Fresh Troops
RY VIRGIL PINKLEY


UNITED Press Staff Correspondent
Allied Headquarters, North
Africa, April IA. - (UP) -
Allied armies paced by shat
tering aerial onslaughts
thrust ahead on three key
sectors of northwest Tunisia
today but advanced patrols
reported increasing Axis re-
sistance in the outer fringe
Of the enemy'S semi-circular
mountain defenses guarding the
approach 10 Tunis and Bizerte.
Although the British and Alneris
can airforceS shattered large cons
centrationS OF Axis giant transport
and other planes for 24-hour total
of las destroyed or damaged, the
enemy ground forces apparently
were beginning TO make their longs
expected stand in the strong pro-
pared positions beginning In the
Enfidaville zone, "a miles north %
SouSse.
Fighting was confined to local eFla
gagements as the Allies moved into
position for their final onslaughto
against the Tunisian coffin corner
but patrols reported that Nazi Mar
shall Erwin Rommels Afrika Korpa
which had fled up the coast TO
Eniidaville--had apparently been
joined by fresh troops from the
north and that sharp counteF-at@
lacks had been launched BY the
enemy in the MedjeZ Ell Bah and
other scattered sectors.
(Today's German communlques
broadcast by Berlin, said that Ia
Tunisia several enemy attacks
against the western sector Of the
front were repulsed partly by couns
ter attacks. In the south 1t added.
the Allies with strong forces ap-
preached Axis positions presume
ably near Enfidaville-and launched
reconnaissance thrusts which failedl
A dispatch from Edward w. Beat~
tie, United Press correspondent with
the British First Army, said fights
ing fiared up suddenly on Tuesday
when the Germans made n heavy
counterlattack on the British adj
vancing along the road from Beta
to Mateur, north Of the Medjex 81
Bah front.
British Advance Halted
The Germans poured mortar fire
into the steadily advancing British
forces just below Sidi NSir and then
sent a wave of infantry charging
down from the hills against the
British left flank. The counter
attack halted the British advance
but was not regarded as q serious
threat at present.
A similar counter-attack was
made by the enemy at a valley to
the east, where British infantry,
which was just taking up a position.
was driven back. The British
counter attacked a nd recaptured
the position. inflicting casualties.
The British Eighth Army. aided
by First Army units, apparently was
making slow progrSs toward the
enemy's defense lone in the Enfida-
vile sector, but today's communique
said Rommers prepared positions
had been reached between Enfida-
vile and the Diebel Bou Harjar. 9
hill southwest of Enfldaville on the
Grand Dorsal cas- tot the Ousseltia
valley.
A message from the front nc noon
today said that I'VE have no knowls
elge that Eniidaville has been cap-
tured."
French forces had previously cone
tinued TO make local advances In
the mountains east OF Ousseltia
up enemy rear-guard poe
sitions on Rommel's right flank to
wacilitate the advance against Enc
hdaville.
There was considerable speculas
ton that the Germans. although
obviously fighting a losing battle,
would attempt a new through
in the north-perhaps
against the British First Army--in
an effort to confuse Allied plans
and gal mas niue htime as possible.
Continued on Page a.