The Durant news. (Durant, Miss.) 1882-1985, 1943-03-04
A Week Of The War

The Tunisian battle-lines, which
last week were changing rapidly un-
der the German advance, are now
pretty sharply delineated, when
veteran Axis divisions broke through
the Southern range of mountains at
Faid Pass and Sid Bou lid, Over
ran Gafsa, and poured into the
plains at Sbeitla, Kasserine and Fee
riana, the Allied forces were forced
to retreat, forced also to abandon
three airfields and destroy or aban-
don quantities of equipment and
supplies, and to take up positions In
the second range of mountains, the
so called "Grand Forsals that runs
from Pont Du Fahs Southwestward
just East of the Allied stronghold
of Tebessa.
The threat to the right rear Of
the British First Army, immobil-
lied by mud in Northern Tunisia
just in back of Bizerte and Tunis,
was apparent when the German col
umns continued their advance, push
ing through the Kasserine pass of
the Grand Dorsal range toward
Thala and Tebessa. Had this drive
been successful, had the German
forces succeeded in storming the
passes and moving up toward the
Coast, the Axis could conceivably
have broken the whole Allied de-
Tense in this area.
That this did happen was a credit,
said Secretary of War Stimson, TO
the fine action of American ground
forces, the great skill of our air
support, and the valuable help given
by the British First Army. Our
forces were not broken by the Ger
mans, ON the contrary, the counter
| attack that the enemy in the passes
Northwest of Kasserine and hurled
him back almost 10 miles was a sue
cess. And although American losses
in the first 10 days of the Axis
offensive were heavy, they were
probably not as large as first ex-
! pected, as several American units
which were cut off have made their
way back through the Axis lines
Losses admittedly included substan-
tial quantities Of tanks, scout cars
and field guns but much of this
Inataial has already been replaced.
For the immediate future, Mr..
Stimson predicted heavy fighting all
along the Tunisian Front. "We
must expect setbacks and casualties.
We must not expect any easy or
quick victory in Tunisia." And to
correct a misunderstanding on the
employment of 'green" American
troops in the recent fighting, Mr..
Stimson explained that although our
men are highly trained up to the
point Of experience under fire, there
is no substitute in training for ac-
tuai battle experience men
must learn under fire the strategem
of war"
The Battle Against the Submarine
Following the Nays disclosure
| that a German submarine had been
sunk by an American destroyer in
the Atlantic and a Japanese sub
marine destroyed in the Pacific by
the armed guard crew of an Amer
lean Merchantmen, Secretary of the
Navy Knox stated that although
our Merchant ship sinkings were
less last month than the month be-
fore, and although no doubt there
have been other U-boat sinkings by
allied forces, the submarine most
emphatically" is still a very grave
menace All measures that we know
that could help reduce the subma-
rine m are being used, Mr..
Knox said, but there is nothing On
which to predict any hope for early
stoppage or cure. The day before
the Navy had announced q serious
loss-the submarine sinking of two
passenger-cargo ships in the North
Atlantic with approximately $50 cas-
ualties, both civilian and service
personnel-more than 800 OF the
600 aboard the first vessel and
more than half of the 500 aboard
the second ship,