Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1943-01-28
Allied Air Forces
Resume Offensive
On 1unisian Front
Two ltoIion Destroyers
Blasted Bod Weather
Limits lond Activity
By the Associated Press.

By the Associated Press
Allied air forces have resumed
the offensive in Tunisia with a
series OF attacks on Nazi ground
targets and blast at two Ital-
ian destroyers, one of which was
left IN sinking condition, the
Allied spokesman announced to-
day at headquarters in North
Africa.
Bad weather limited ground ac-
tivity to patrolling.
BIS Mitchell bombers, escorted
by P-36 Lightnings, found the two
destroyers 100 miles off Tunis in the
mediterranean narrows and scored
two direct hits that left, one burning
and shipping water. The spokes-
man said four bombs fell close To
the stern of the other destroyer and
probably damaged it.
The Raj and the 18th Air Force
combined in sweeps with Spithres
Llghtnings, Warhawks and Boston
bon1hers, raking Nazi TRANSPORTS
and fuel dumps with cannon FIRE
over a wide area.
Nazi Gas Truck Blasted.
Raj Spit1res blew I'd a German
gasoline truck on the road between
Tunis and Pont Du Fahs, DESTROY
ing tank and tank carrier at
the same time. Staff cars were shot
up and German officers leaped into
dltches and fields to escape the
rain of bullets.
Llgntnings strafed a. truck column.
leaving many vehicles in flames
Boston bombers, escorted by War
hawks, bombed Axis troop concen-
trations at the hamlet of Mezzouna
Is miles east of Maknassy, and the
observers reported many direct hits,
Lafayette Escadrille fighters.
French pilots under United States
command, joined a group of Ameri-
can Lightnings to strafe German
ammunition and fuel dumps.
The Raj rounded out a 24-ho,lr
attack with night raid on Bizerte,
AXls-held naval base.
AL American planes were re-
ported to have returned from the
operations. A communicate said one
Allied aircraft was missing.
Four Enemy Bombers DESTROYED.
additional reports" the commu-
nlque said. show that in the attack
on Algiers on the night of the 26th
and 9th of January four more enc
my bombers were destroyed, making
six in ali that night"
An American attempt to drive
wedge between the converting
armies of Marshal Erwin Rommel
and Col, Gen. Jurgen Won Arnim in
Central Tunisia was suggested by
Axis reports today.
The Vichy radio said last night
the United States forces originally
concentrated on Tebessa, Algeria.
$50 miles southwest of Tunis, had
begun an offensive.
A Berlin military spokesman was
quoted by the German radio this
morning as saying the Americans
were planning major offensive"
Presumably such a drive would be
toward the Gulf of Gabes, a rela-
lively vulnerable sector on the line
Of Rommel's retreat.
The British 9th Army continued
Its drive toward Tunisia yesterday
and its patrols were in contact with
the enemy in the Sabratha area, IL
miles west of Tripoli and less than
so miles from the Tunisia- Libya
border, it was announced today in
Cairo.
Raid Southern Italy.
A communique said air activity
yesterday and Tuesday night was
on small scale, but successful at
tacks were made on enemy rail
communications in Southern Italy"
One aircraft was listed as missing.
Sabratha is a small town on the
coast road running west from
Tripoli.
Adgices from the North african
front said that torrential storms had
terminated a week of fair weather,
begging down many important roads
and making the terrain totally I'M
suitable for tank operations.
The break in the weather came
Just as United States ground forces
we're becoming increasingly active
In Central Tunisia-the forerunner,
perhaps, Of an Allied attempt to
drive a spearhead through to the
coast near Sousse and thus cut COM
munications between Rommel and
Won Arnirn.