The Waterbury Democrat., 1943-01-21
Military Outlook
 For Allies Favorable
Ccontinued from Page D.

tempting to keep open a path for their fleeing comrades in Libya, at- lacked French forces southwest of Pont Du Fans and forced them to retire to new positions in the Kebir river valley. An Allied headquar- ters communique said the Germans were attacking in two columns, one on each side of the mountains southwest of Pont Du Fans. In the EOndouk area of Tunisia the French made some gains, 1t was said.
 American flying fortresses struck At the Tunisian city of Gabes to- ward which the Afrika Korps was fleeing. They scored hits on the aidrome and shot down two Mes- 6erschmitt- 109S which attempted to Intercept. The barracks and an adjacent railroad at Gabes also were bombed, and all the fortresses re- turned safely.
 American Billy Mitchell bombers, escorted by Lockheed Lightnings, ranged out over the Tunisian coast and bombed an Axis tanker escorted by destroyers. When last seen the tanker was SLaClOnary.
 < British Hurricane bombers and units of the Lafayette Escadrille went to the aid of the French in the Pont Du Fans Are and attacked Axis infantry. British Bisley bomb- CTS struck a road behind the Ger man lines in an attempt to hinder the bringing up of supplies.
 Although Tripoli appeared to be only lightly defended, Allied planes gave the city no rest from the daily bomblngs it has received since the British Eighth Army began to roll again. American Liberator bombers attached to the U. s. Ninth Airforce in Cairo made two strong attacks yesterday on Tripoh harbor, a com- muniQue said. Bombs burst along the mole, fires were started and 8 probable hit was made on a mer- chant vessel.
 The Eighth Army was advancing on Tripoli from two directions - from the Tarhuna area to the south east and from Hons along the coastal road.
 ( Powerful British tank and infan- try units probably were in sight of Tripoli, the Axis one remaining base in Tripolitania, and once pirates nest which United States Marines and ships cleaned out.
 Today's Middle Eastern Com Hnand communique said Hons, 62 miles from Tripoli, on the coastal road, and Tarhuna, 40 miles to the southeast, were captured sometime yesterday.
 Tarhuna is in the midst of the Nefoussa hills, the last natural po- sitions before Tripoli in which the Germans and Italians could make stand. It seemed apparent now that TripoI would fall to the Eighth Army with little or no fight. M Enemy Retreating
 The triumphant British force was in close contact with the retreating enemy, the communique said, and Allied planes, roaring out ahead, continued their blasting of Tripoli and the retreating columns of Axis transport beyond,
 Dispatches from Tripolitania had described frightful confusion among Axis transport west of Tripoli, with exploding and flaming vehicles Blocking the road and causing con- fusion among the Germans and Italians.
 Allied heavy bombers gave Castel R';nito airport, 10 miles south of Tripoli, and targets in Tripoli it. self another heavy pounding on Tuesday night.
 Two enemy supply ships were at- tackled of the Tunisian coast by torpedo planes. One blew up be- fore the attackers and the other was badly damaged. Another Brit ish plane damaged a third ship in the same area, and a fourth ship was torpedoed yesterday in the Aegean Sea.
 That made 18 ships that Allied sea and air forces, strangling Axis supply routes and making sure there will be no sea evacuation from Tripoli. had sunk or damaged in the Mediterranean battle area in the last few days. Fifteen were sunk.
 Three Allied planes were missing from all operations under the mid- ale eastern command.
 Authentic Allied reports said the Germans were fleeing from Tripoli 50 fast that they drove their motor vehicles at night with lights on full.