The Waterbury Democrat., 1943-05-13

deputy Prime Minister Clement
r. Attlee announced in Commons
today that the Allies had taken
more than 10000 prisoners, more
than 1000 enemy guns, 20 tanks and
thousands of motor vehicles.
The end of organized Axis re-
resistance was announced at Allied
headquarters at 1923 p. m. We'd
nesday, 1928 p. m. EWT), after a
day Of swift events that included
the capture OF Col. Gen. Jurgen Won
Arnim, 4-year old German COM
mander OF the Axis African army,
and the surrender of 1000 addi-
tional German and Italian troops.
The end OF the battle came six
months and five days after the
Allied landings on French North
Africa last November 7. The Tu-
nissan campaign actually took slight
ly less than six months, however,
because the first contact was not
established with Axis troops until
last November /.
The last big Allied drive against
an estimated 10000 Axis fighting
men In the northeast corner of Tu-
nisia lasted little more than a week
and it moved so rapidly that the
enemy became a disorganized and
disconnected collection Of troops
that could not escape and had no
choice but to give up. The big
push began on May when the
American second corps of General
Omar N Bradley took Mateur The
British First Army broke through
west OF Tunis on May and the
next day both Bizerte and Tunis
fell.
After that the Axis forces were cut
to ribbons and began surrcndering
by the thousands. When the final
count Is made, the number of pris-
oners is expected to total 10000 for
the final days Of the campaign.
A special communique prepared in
the field by the 18th Army group an
nounced the end Of the fighting. 1t
said:
"Organized resistance except by
isolated pockets of the enemy has
ceased. General Won Arim, COM
mander OF the Axis forces in Tu-
nisia, has been captured.
1T is estimated that the total
OF prisoners captured since May
Is about 10000. Vast quantities OF
guns and war material OF all kinds
have been captured, including guns
and ainrcraft in a serviceable con-
dition."
There remained only he task OF
cleaning out isolated pockets Of re-
sistance in the hills of the Cap Bon
Peninsula and in the area north Of
a line between zaghouan and Bou
Ficha.
The Allies we're expected to con-
tinue and increase their aerial
bombardment OF Pantelleria and
Sicily, the island stepping stones
across the Mediterranean to the
Italian mainland. Pantellcria is
eight miles long and five miles wide
and lies Sc miles east OF Cap Bon
and rs miles south, southwest of
MARSHA, Sicily.
The capture OF Won Arnim brought
the total number Of Axis generals
taken prisoner to IL. Six sur
rendered to the Americans, two to
the French yesterday and the Brit
ish got Won Arnim and three others.
Other German and italian generals
may have been captured, 1t was be-
lieved.
Won Arnim, a PrusSian nobleman
who believed and preached the
German military doctrine, was tired
and showed the strain Of the last
days Of fighting.
OF the prisoners taken since May
5, about 10000 are Germans and
the rest Italians.
Almost 100000 Axis prisoners have
been taken in the entire Africa war
which began two years and II
months ago. (The British Press
association estimated the number
Of prisoners at 100000.
Other generals who surrendered
10 the Allies yesterday were Maj.
Gen. Graf con Sponeck, commander
OF the crack Goth German light IN
fantry which had fought In Europe
and all through the African CAM
paign. and Maj. Gen. Proich, COM
mander OF the 10th Panzer division.
Early yesterday, Lieut. Gen. Ber-
nard G. F'reyberg Of the New zea-
landers gave Sponeck, whose divi-
sion had been encircled an ulti-
matum TO surrender unconditional
ly. Sponeck replied that he would
fight TO the finish.
Within a short time, however, his
troops were seen to be shooting
their ammunition into the air to
use 1t up. Empire troops moved In
from all sides and the Germans
broke. They accepted the terms OF
surrender proclaimed at the Casa
blanca conference.
Late In the afternoon the French
issued a communique announcing
that more than Is 900 additional
Axis troops had surrendered be-
tween Zaghouan and Saouaf, in
Guiding one German an done ftal-
ian general. This ended resistance
in that area.
The French had captured st.
Marie du zit, northeast OF Gag
houan, making a Junction with the
British First Army which had over
run the Cap Bon arm.
The Italian general captured was
Gen. Yelich, commander Of the
famed Supergo division, and the
German was Gen. Pfeiiier. A
French armored unit took Yelch
and Moroccan division got