Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1943-02-21
Military Officials
Believe Tide Has
Turned for Allies
MAP on Page Az
BY IVES GALLAGHER.
Associated Press War Correspondent


ALLIED HEADQUARTERS IN
NORTH AFRICA, Feb. 20.-MiIi-
tary authorities said today the
tide has turned" in TuniSia
after American and British
troops hurled back Marshal Ell
win ROmmel's renewed thrust to-
ward the Algerian base Of Te-
beSSa in mountain passes near
Sbeitla and KaSSerine.
Gen. Sir Harold Alexander. guild
ing genius of the British 9Th
Army's unparalleled 1,60O-mile adj
vance from the approaches to
Alexandria to the outpoSts of the
Mareth Line, took personal COM
mand Of all Allied ground forces
IN TuniSia under Gen. Dwight D.
Eisenhower. He started organiza-
ton of the supreme offensive to
throw the quarter million Axis
troops into the Mediterranean
Reports that the 9Th Army was
about 30 miles south of Gabes and
had captured the island of Djerba.
IS miles across the Gulf of Gabes
to the east, put Allied air power
and British naval power so close
to that port that it was believed
GabeS was no longer of any use
to the Axis as a supply base for
Nazi forces entrenched in the
Mareth Line.
Main Axis Supply Port.
SfaX, a good 90 miles to the north.
now is the main supply port and this
IS within easy reach of Allied bomb
ers, both from the western side and
from the 9th Army front.
Allied forces in forward positions
OF the Ousseltia Valley below Ro-
baa were withdrawn from the east
ern to a western line OF hills, be-
cause their position became unten-
able after the Americans were forced
back further south,
The British 9Th Army sent cur
tainS of artillery shells into Ger
man positions approaching the Ma
reth Line in the Medenine area and
were in contact with the enemy
there. British patrols spared with
the foe 30 miles south in the Foum
Tatahouine area. Dust storms ham
pered this powerful Allied arm some
65 miles inside Tunisia from Libya
Rommel sent a strong partol
against an Allied brigade in the
Sblba region, 90 miles north of
Sbeltla, and also attacked United
States forces guarding the Kas-
serine Gap, and Allied spokesman
said. At Sbeiba, the Germans were
said to have lost six tanks and six
selG-propelled guns. The spokesman
said enemy losses were even heavier
at the KaSSerine Pass.
Bad Weather Grounds Planes.
Snow, rain and gales swept most
of TuniSia, grounding all planes.
United States combat troops were
deployed on both sides of Kasserine
Pass when the Germans struck early
Thursday. The enemy made some
small gains in the initial fighting
but by night the Americans were
back at their original positions and
the enemy had turned tail toward
the town Of Kasserine.
The Germans claimed thew
had captured nearly 5000 prison.
erS during the week. mostly
Americans. and destroyed or
captured l25 heavy tanks, so big
guns and 40 armored cars.)
Fresh supplies and materiel have
been fastened to the Americans in
the mountains near the Algerian
border Of Central TuniSia. The in
different communications in this
region slowed the reorganization
and probably will delay the coming
Allied assault.
The loss of tanks, guns and trucks
was viewed more seriously than the
abandonment Of 1000 square miles
OF Central Tunisia to RommeTs
numerically superior troops. The
territorial loss was regarded at
headquarters as incidental"