Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1943-04-28
Tunision Bio Push


Allies are engaged in a full-scale
offensive which presumably will be
pressed relentlessly until the Axis
defenders of the natural fortress
which is Northeastern Tunisia have
either surrendered or been annihi-
lated. Virtually isolated as they are
by both sea and air. their ultimate
doom is sealed. The only question
is how much time they can gain for
overall Axis strategy by selling their
lives slowly and dearly.
At the beginning of the offensive
the Axis garrison was supposed to
number about 100000, two-thirds of
these being German and the balance
Italian. Judging by their stubborn
resistance, the Italians are above
average quality, while the Germans
are picked veterans. They have had
several months to improve the nat
ural advantages of an extremely
rugged belt of country, generally
billy to mountainous, with only two
river valleys, both narrow and domi-
mated by heights along their courses.
Large though the Axis garrison
sounds, it is none too large to defend
an area originally covering some
5000 square miles, roughly the size
and shape of Connecticut. Already
the first ten days of the Allied often
sive, converging from two sides and
hammering at several key points,
has whitfield down the Axis area to
the size of Delaware. II the present
rate OF advance is kept up, it should
soon be down to the size of Rhode
Island. Meanwhile, the defenders
suffer irreplaceable losses in men and
equipment, while the besiegers, al
ready outnumbering the defenders
some two to one, can reinforce them
selves at will. Allied air supremacy
is so complete that it seems unchal-
lengeable and plays a vital role in
disrupting Axis local communica-
tons and shattering Axis morale.
Even assuming that the Axis had laid
in ample supplies, the wastage of
full-scale modern warfare is so rapid
that stores of munitions and spare
equipment soon must run low. That
would hasten the end for troops
overstrained by continuous 'front.'
line service.
The Axis defenses apparently are
strongest at the ends of their de-
tense line. The extreme north, west
Of Bizerte, was heavily fortified by
the French long before the Axis oc-
cupation, while the most rugged
mountains lie in the extreme south.
geographically, the "softest" spots
are the defile Of Mateur, just south
Of the Bizerte salt lakes, and the
valleys Of the Medjerda and Miliane
rivers in the central sectors, already
alluded to. II either of those CORR
doris should be pierced, the Axis,
mountainous southern bastion would
be threatened with isolation, and the
defenders presumably would have to
beat a hasty retreat to their last
stronghold, the Tunis-Bizerte tri-
angle.
AS the Axis defense slowly gives
ground in positional fighting rem
iniscent of the western front during
the last war, the plight of the Axis
can be likened to Balzacs famous
story in which a man sells his soul
to the evil one for a tanned hide
which shrinks with every gratified
wish he makes until the last tiny
remnant vanishes and the dread
penalty is imposed. The sense of
inevitable doom must hang over even
the most seasoned Axis soldiers as
they retire step by step before con-
tinuous Allied attacks which neither
slacken nor weaken.