Evening star., 1943-04-11
The African Front


week when he elected to throw the
greater part of his armored strength
against the American forces under 1t.
Gen. Patton moving down the highway
from Gafsa toward Gabes in an effort
to get in behind the Fox The action
took place on the coastal side of Ell Cue
tar. The German attack was stopped
cold and before withdrawal could be
effected, Patton's forces hit back in
sharp counter offensive which brought
about capture OF several high points and
the elimination of about 80 mortars
which had been annoying the Americans.
With nice timing, 1t Gen. Mont
eomery, commanding the British 9Th
Army, held his punch
Heavy Drive until the German defeat
Tokes Wody near Ell Guetar. Then,
unleashing fierce drive
across Wady Ell Akarit, Montgomery
swept the Afrika Korps back, picking up
several thousand prisoners during the
action and then, with Patton, put the
squeeze on so successfully that Rommel
had no other course than to abandon the
Wady. Facing entrapment, Rommel be-
gan rolling back from the Wady on
Thursday and by Friday he had gone
northward beyond Mahares, which is
only % miles from Sfax, the second of
the important Southern Tunisian ports
which served as supply bases. Gabes, of
course, fell last week
AS Rommel retreated the Americans
from Ell Guetar made contact with Brit
tsh moving up from Gabes to meet them
and mop up the remnants of Rommels
men who failed to escape. With a brief
pause for little session of back-slap-
ping. the two forces united and joined
In the chase after the Afrika Korps
But escape from the Gabes trap, like
the escape from the Mareth Line trap,
was another case of out of the frying pan
Into the fire because as the Axis force
moved back toward SfaX, the second of
Gen. Patton's columns which captured
Maknassy last week and took Mezzouna
this week pushed along good road
toward Sfax, being last reported only %
miles from the city.
Then yesterday morning at BIS
o'clock the British entered Sfax, where
Rommel hardly hesitated. The dis
couraging part of the whole thing from
the Rommel viewpoint lies in the
fact that even though he escaped
this new trap before it was sprung he
faces an even larger trap in which he
may be more easily caught because
Of the distance he must travel and the
much shorter path which lies ahead of
a French and American intercepting
force headed for the coast of Sousse.
This force is approaching Kairouan, i'm
portant Axis airbase, which lies 80 miles
from Sousse or, roughly, half the dis
tance from Sfsx to Sousse.
1t. Gen. Anderson. launching a nicely
timed offensive on Thursday, pushed Won
Arnims troops out of
Won Arnim Medjez Ell Bah, placing
Foces Test the British in a position
to move on Tunis from
the south. strike toward the coast to set
up barrier between Won Arnim and
Rommel or divide and accomplish both
objectives.
Won Arnim spread his strength thin
because he faces not only the British
ISL ARMY aG NeQJeZ-El-baD, OuC also
combined British and Moroccan force
which is nearing Mateur where the high
command may elect three courses, drive
on Bizerte, drive from above on Tunis
or both. A still further threat is
French column which, moving In along
the coast, has captured Cape Serrat.
only IS miles west of Bizerte. Anderson
is only 36 miles from Tunis.
All the while the ground troops push
the Axis armies back, the American and
British air forces keep up their harass-
ment. They have played havoc with
Rommels truck columns and of shore
II ships have been sunk In addition 70
Axis planes have been shot down with
the loss of only II Allied planes.
Looking on beyond the immediate
fighting, Allied planes, mostly American
bombers, have been taking the war un-
pleasantly to the Italians at home.
Either to prevent the evacuation of the
Axis remaining African forces or the
dispatch Of supplies which might pro-
long the defense. great swarms Of planes
have bombed Italian harbors and ship