The Waterbury Democrat. [volume] (Waterbury, Conn.) 1917-1946, 1943-04-22
Allies Carve .FOOthOld ID
EnfidaviIIe Line South
of Tunis
TWO 62-TON ENEMY
TIGER TANKS WRECKED
Small Nazi Supply Ship
Sunk Near Sicily; IA
Axis Planes DOwned
BY VIRGIL PINKLEY
UNITED Press Staff Correspondent


UNITED Press Staff Correspondent
Allied Headquarters, North
Africa, April %. - (UP) -
The British First Army
crushed the first major Axis
attempt to break out of the
northeast Tu.liSian coffin
corner by repulsing a power
full counter-attack along an
eight-mile front near Med
jez-El-Bab, capturing 500
prisoners and destroying %
enemy tanks.
The big scale German thrust, in
which two 62-ton Tiger tanks were
destroyed, started Tuesday night
south of Medjez- FL Bah and about
30 miles from Tunis, but by dawn
the onslaught had been defeated
without gaining an inch.
The Nazi moonlight onslaught
in which between so and 30 tanks
and at least 5000 .nfantrynien par
ticipated was an effort to relieve
Nazi Marshal Erwin Rommel's DIFF
ficult position on the semi-circul0r
defense line around Tunis and hi.
zerte. The British Eighth Army
already had carved a foothold In
to the mountainous Enfidaville Line
so miles south of Tunis.
Positions Improved
Today's communique from the
headquarters of Gen. Dwight D.
Eisenhower said that the Eighth
Army, pushing several miles north
Of Djebel Garci and Enfidavlllc.
again had improved Its positions
and thrown back two more major
counter-attacks with massed artil-
lery fire that took a heavy toll
Of Rommel's best troops.
Fighting was especially fierce
around Takrounc village, three miles
northeast of Enfidaville, but late
reports from the front said the
Eighth Army veterans were firmly
holding their gains, which totalled
three miles at some points.
On the air, the Allies encoun-
tered unfavorabie weather on We'd
nesday but staff attacks against en-
envy front and rear positions were
continued, centering especially on
roads and air fields In their drive
to knock out the Luftwaffe over
Tunisia. Fourteen more Axis planes
were shot down. Four Allied planes
are missing.
Villa Cidro airfield on Sardinia
was attacked as were other scattered
supply targets, while Cairo reported
that bombers attacked Naples again
on Tuesday night, starting fires and
causing considerable damage.
The major battle in the Medjez-
El-Bab sector on Tuesday night was
the result Of a decision by Rommel
to commit a large force Of Axis
troops to the task of trying to up
set the Allied plans by breaking out
of the enlightenment.
The German Radio claimed that
Nazi forces on the western or Med
jez-el-Bab front had reached Oh.
jectives" after inflicting heavy losses
on the Allies.)
Some Of Rommel's strongest and
most experienced infantry and tank
units attacked on an eight mile
front south of Medjez at 1880 p.
m. Tuesday in full moonlight af-
ter the British had occupied Banana
Ridge, four miles east OF MedJez,
against light opposition. The attack
Ing forces were between Medjes and
SidJ Mahoud. Their infantry adj
first and infiltrated as far as
the road running south from Medje1
despite heavy British artillery, NOR
tar and machine gun fire.
The British First Army stiffene8
md. fighting on fan.-.lar ground, -
(Continued on Page %