Evening star., 1943-04-16
Africa
Continued From First Page.)

Won Arnim intended to try to hold
their present line.
Two British brigades. almost en-
tirely on a pack transport basis,
launched the first attack which took
the Djebel Ang at midnight Tues
day. Wheeled vehicles were left be-
hind.
THE ajor credit for the attack
must be given to the infantry who,
after five months of continuous con-
tact with the enemy, put on great
show over very difficult country" an
official statement said.
Villa ,Cidro, Ell Mas and Decimo-
mannu airdromes were listed among
the Sandman targets for 2-ton
blockbusters of the Wellington
bombers and the communique said
large fires were started at Decimo-
mannu.
German transport was given no
rest on Tunisian highways even at
night. Fighter planes shot up motor
trucks above Enfidaville, itself so
miles south of Tunis. and along the
Tunis- -Hammamet road by moon
light.
Mitchell bombers set a gasoline
dump af1ame in a raid on the land
ing grounds at Ste Marie Du Zit and
Wellingtons followed up with an at
tack on the air fields at Korba.
During the day Kittyhawks and
Warhawks bombed and shot up Axis
supply columns in the Enfdaville
area.
Although there was a slump in
aerial fighting over .Tunisia two Mes
serschmitts 1905 were shot down
during the day and night activity.
No Allied planes were lost.
The coastal air force bombed and
machine-gunned 1,500-ton motor
vessel off the north coast of Sicily.
Allied night fighters attacked sew
eral small ships off Hammamet and
wharf buildings and trucks near the
town.
Malta-based planes again attacked
railway and highway lines in Sicily
and destroyed too Junkers 88s off
that island. An Raj communiuue
Issued In Valletta reported that Axis
coastal installations in Tunisia were
bombed again this morning.
LlberatorS of the 9th United States
Army Air Force successfully at
tackled the Sicilian harbors of Ca
tania and Palermo by daylight yes
terday, a United States communioue
announced at Cairo.
AT Palermo ION the north coasD
hits were observed near the oil
quay, warship dock, seaplane sta
ton and an oil storage depot" the
communique said.
AT Catania ION the east coasD
large fires were observed in the
areas of the gas works, the port,
the railroad station and the power
station. An oil tanker in the har-
Dor is reported to have been dam
aged"
GThe Italian communioue
broadcast by the Rome radio and
recorded by the Associated Press
reported that American four
engined planes again bombed the
port of Naples on the mainland
and the Sicilian towns of Pal
ermo, Messina. Sciacca and Ca
tania yesterday. In all the raids,
102 persons were killed and 115
injured, it was reported. Two
planes were shot down by anti
aircraft fire and one by italian
fighters at Palermo, the radio
Said.)
The air offensive over Tunisia and
the Mediterranean already has cost
the enemy more than $50 planes
in combat alone since the beginning
of the Mareth offensive March 20.
An additional $50 German and
italian planes have been destroyed
on the ground, officers estimated.
Germans Avoid Air Combat.
The German air force in Tunisia
has been so weakened that fighters
are sent up only to repel Allied
bombers and they have avoided
combat with the large American
British fighter sweeps over the
Tlnis area.
tThe Berlin radio reported yes
terday that British Commando
troops attempted to land behind
Axis lines In the Cape Serrat
area, IS miles from Biserte,
Wednesday night. The broadcast
said Axis batteries opened fire