The people's voice. [volume] (Helena, Mont.) 1939-1969, 1943-04-16
review OF
A Week OF
The WAR
BY Owl

The news of the week from Tunisia
was the junction of the U. S. Second
Army Corps and the British Eighth
Army. Contact was made about lie
miles east of Ell Guettar on the Gafsa
Gabes road which indicates that the
in order to meet the American force
| This junction was effected during
the afternoon of April 7 "wednesday
after the decisive defeat of Rommel's
determined counter-attacks. Early
Wednesday morning, when it became
evident that the enemy could not
maintain any position in the Wadi
Akarit area of Oudref, allied mobile
forces began moving forward. Wadi
Akarit is deep, natural tank barrier
which affords excellent defensive
positions but the allied forces pushed
their drive relentlessly, French, Brit
ish and American troops moving in
close cooperation. And by afternoon
the Births and American forces had
made contact.
Effective Air Support
Aerial tactics are still a great factor
in the battle of Tunisia. On Sunday,
April 4, allied air operations cost the
Axis II aircraft destroyed, Mondays
operations cost the Axis 48 planes,
and Monday night an enemy bomber
was brought down. Tuesdays total
wac OF Ayio rJapoo daotro1rad Wal
nesday's operations shot down IA.
Thus, in three days of aerial combat,
the Allies put out of the fighting 101
Axis planes, at loss of % of our
own. Returning from an inspection
tour, Brig. Gen. Aubry c. Strickland,
commanding advanced USAAF head
quarters, said that u. S. Ninth Air
Force units in the Tunisian front
lines helped "break the back" of Ger
man resistance.
Secretary of War Stimson, in a re-
view of the war, told reporters that
in one day "a hours = American
planes operating in the African thea
ter shot down so Axis planes and lost
less than one-fourth of that number.
Some of these Axis planes, he said,
were big transport aircraft trying to
supply the Nazis with gasoline. The
weeks bombing raids on Axis airfields
in Tunisia, Sicily and Sardinia re-
suited in the destruction of 120 enemy
planes caught on the ground, in addi-
lion to those shot down in combat.
Victory Assured
Mr.. Stimson said the immediate OBJ
iectives of the present drive in Tun-
Isia are no yet clear, but 1--WE can
be- assured Of victory in that theater."
He confirmed an earlier cIaira, that
more than 5000 Axis soldiers were
AIKEN prisoner last Tuesday when the |
British opened their new drive north |
If Gabes, and promised that the Brit
sh success and the American flank
ng actions would be exploited to the
ullest." Commenting on the same
developments, Owl Director Davis
vas also optimistic. He explained
he continued allied success against
tommel by pointing out that the
'ressure of U. S. forces against the
light flank of the Afrika Korps COM
elled Rommel to divert part of his
orces to meet the American drive
he British forces were thus able to
rive through and take another Ger
lan-held position
APP Air Strength
The size of the Japanese air ar
lada = so bombers escorted by 4S
eros-which was so decisively de-
Gated on April in its attack against
!. s. shipping in the SoIomons seems
verify recent reports that the jap
nese have been increasing their aer-
u strength in the southwest Pacific.
. S. airmen, the navy announced.
hot down 81 out of the SO attacking
lanes, and at loss of only seven !
our fighters. Secretary Stimson
omitted that the Japanese have built !.
their air reserves in this area, but 1.
aid we have been doing the same
ing. Although in some places we
Jay not have numerical superiority q
yer the Japanese, the quality of our
luipment and our men has constant
proved our superiority, and today
O. have an edge on them.