The Waterbury Democrat., 1943-04-17
British and French Sklra
mish With Axis Armies
In Tunisia
GROUNDED NAZI PLANES
AT OUDNA DESTROYED
Allies Lose Three Planes
in Diversified Attacks in
Various Areas
ny VIRGIL PINKLEY

United Press start COrrespendeney
Allied Headquarters, North
Africa, April II. - (UP) -
Flying FortreSses wrecked or
damaged four Axis supply
ships In a heavy raid on Pa
lermo, Sicily, yesterday,
while British and French
ground forces skirmlshed
with the cornered Italo-G Ger
man armies In Tunisia, q come
munique announced today,
The toll Of shipping was boosted
BY the sinking OF two large italian
destroyers In the Slcillan channel
by British destroyers and the bonnie
Ing OF two stranded merchant vess
sells and q large barge off the Tue
nlsian coast by f.ockheed Lightning
Fighters,
Tho sinking OF the two deStruyera
first was reported by Admiral Sir
Andrew Browne.C unninghanl. Ale
lied naval commander In the Md
itefranean, yesterday. The an@
nouncement said that two British
destroyers, penetrating deep into
enemy waters, engarsd and blasted
the two warships to the bottor with@
out loss Of themselves,
The communicate reported "vig~
orous local activity" both north &c
MedieE III Bah. where the British
are Attempting 10 consolidate their
newly-won positions on heIells
dominating Che outer approaches to
TuniS, and IN the hills to the south,
where French forces are driving
against the enemy flank,
Tho British Eighth Army cons
tlnued 10 test thc Axis Enfldavllla
line In the coastal sector 30 miles
mouth OF Tunis with patrol labs
while gather ing strength for q
large.scale assault,
Besides scoring hits on four ships
At Palermo, one Of the principal
supply bases for German Marshal
Erwin RommerS Tunislan armies.
tlSs flying fortresses damaged the
power house and other targets In
the dock area,
The large barge hit off the Tue
nissan coast by the lightning fight-
erS blew up, the communicate said.
but the damage 10 the two stranded
merchantmen hit In the same area
was not detailed.
Medium bomhers made several at
tacks on the Axis airficld at Oudna
In TuniSia, where numerous aircraft
were seen parked. Bomb bursts COW
cred thu target, the communiQua
said, and In one attack several vehl-.
cles were destroyed.
Light bombers and fighter-bomb-
ers raided another alrfield ana
raked enemy ground positions ana
transport with bombs and bullets.
Six enemy planes were shot down
during daylight yesterday In addl-
ton TO one destroyed the previous
night, while Allied losses In all op-
erations totalled three aircraft :,
Text of the communicates:
"On the night OF April isle. Brit-
iSh destroyerS operating In the Slcil-
ian channel met and engaged tive
large italian destroyers, Both Of the
enemy vessels were sunk.
Yesterday on the Tunisian front
vigorous local activity Is reported
both from the sector north oe
Medjez FL Bah and from the hills
where French forces are fighting on
the west flank of the EnfidavIlIe
line.
"On the Eighth army front pa
troll activity continues.
''The situation over the whole
front remains generally unchanged.
Light bombers and fighter-bomb-
ers Of the tactical air force yester@
day carried out attacks on an en-
envy airfield, ground positions and
transport. Bomb bursts were seen on
the targets attacked. Fighters maine
tanned sweeps and patrols over the
battle area.
Formations of medium bombars
OF the strategic air force attacked
the airfield a: Oudna in Ttlnisia. 4
number Of aircraft were seen on ti,a
ground and bomb bursts covered -
target. In one Of these attacks eev.
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