Evening star., 1943-04-08

were not merely impediments, but
full hedged weapons with which to
hold back the thrusts of Gen.
Patton's men.
BY keeping strong German arm
ored forces engaged there, however,
while Gen. Montgomery cracked first
the Mareth Line and then the Wadi
Ell Akarit positions. the Americans
facilitated both victories. Gen.
Montgomery, in turn. relieved the
pressure on the Americans bv his
capture of the Wadi defenses Tues
day.
The Americans seized more than
20 field guns and like number were
captured, along with prisoners, by
French troops mopping up enemy
positions in the pocket south of the
Gafsa -Gabes road Much booty fell
TO the 9Th Army.
rolling stock in a mountain pass and
at a crossroads and said at least 65
vehicles were left burning.
Fighter -bOmberS attacked a clus-
ter of 20 to 25 tanks and set some
afire. American Mitchells escorted
by American -piloted Spitfires car
ried the burden of the assaults.
In the northern sector RAF Spit
fires intercepted two formations OF
Observation-Disclosures Stukas which
which were seeking to blunt the 1st
Armys attack
When the Spitfres went at the
first formation the divebombers jet
tlsoned their explosives and fed, but
five were shot down. The second
wiped out.
Tunis Yards Bombed.
British wellington bombers at
tackled the railway yards at Tunis
Tuesday night and started fires, the
communique said.
The British radio. in a broad
cast recorded by CHS. commented
that Rommel's detachmenLs had
been forced into a boxlike area
roughly 200 miles long by 40 to 70
miles wide, bounded on the land
ward sides by the Allied armies
and menaced from the sea by the
guns of the British Navy.
"A TranSocean broadcast by the
Berlin radio said the western
anchor of Rommel's new line pre-
sumably reached the Central Tu-
nlsian mountain range in the
vicinity of American held Max
nassy. SO miles southwest of Stax.
THE operative plan of the
British and United States forces
to all appearances is aimed at
driving wedges behind the rear
Of the German-I Italian forma-
tons" said the broadcast, record
ed by the Associated Press. and 1t
added that this plan so far had
been frustratedD
Announcement of Junction.
The brief official announcement
last night which told of the historic
meeting of the American and Brit
ish forces on the rocky ridge of
Djebel Chemsii on the road from
Ell Guetar to the coast said:
The 9th Army today made con-
tact with the second United States
corps from Gafsa. The advance
continues and air forces from east
and west continue to enjoy common
targets"
The common targets" were the
columns of Axis tanks. guns, mo-
torized infantry and other equip
ment-moving backward again in a
withdrawal which started at Ell
AIabein. Egypt, last fall and became
the longest retreat of modern war
fare Allied airmen shuttled back
and forth over the columns. subject
ing them to terrible and unre-
lieved punishment.
The continuing advance of the
9th Army after its swift break
through north of Gabes Tuesday
indicated that considerable progress
had been made. but the extent of
the advance was not announced in
last nights special communique.
Forces Now Withdrawn.
Only few hours before the two
Allied armies met on Djebel Chemsi.
eIlle German troops were Hgntlng
flercely there to hold the Axis flank
against the Americans. These en-
emy forces have now withdrawn to
the northeast for the long, bitter
trip up the coast.
The successful British attack on
the Wadi Ell Akarit defenses laid
the requisite groundwork for the
junction of the Allied forces. The
American troops had been waging
bitter struggle against a concentra-
ton of Rommels armored units.
When the Akarit defenses cracked
the Axis forces concentrated in the
Ell Guetar area were in danger of
being left behind and trapped by
the 9th Army advance and they
began moving northward under a
CONWAY,