Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1943-02-18

TUNlSIA described by Secre.
tary Stimson as serious loca
setback" Page A.
BY the Associated Press.
ALLIED HEADQUARTERS IN
NORTH AFRICA, Feb. 18.-Amer,
lean armored formations with
drew today into the mountains
below TebeSSa, in Algeria, after
receiving a severe mauling al
the hands of Marshal Erwin
RommelS expert desert tankmer
who occupied the Tunisian towns
of Sbeitla, KasSerine and Feriana
in a 66-mile advance since Sun
day from Faid pass in Central
Tunisia.
"a Berlin broadcast quoted,
Capt. Ludwig Sertorious, the
Transocean News Agency's mill
tary writer, as saying that forma-
tons of the British LIST Army were
moving toward the battle arena
from the region west of Medjez-
el-8ab and hard fighting lis still
to be expected"
CAT the same time he declared
the German troops had captured
the railway center of Metlaoui,
% miles west of Gafsa, and two
GASES on the northwestern fringe
of the Chott Djerid-T ozeur, IS
miles southwest of Gafsa. and
Meta, 20 miles farther south
west.
Moreover the broadcast said
that Nazi forces had reached the
Algerian border in that area, 20
miles west of Meta. These state
ments were not substantiated by
the German high command and
they were not confirmed in Allied
dispatches)
The Axis troops had wrested 1000
square miles of territory from United
States aTmored forces in four days
and sent their vanguards almost to
the border of Algeria.
Tebessa is about IL miles inside
Algeria from the Tunisian frontier,
and is the next communications
center after withdrawal from the
three towns along the Tunisian
frontier. Feriana is only II miles
from the Tunisian-Algerian from
tier; Sbeitla is 81 miles north Of
Feriana and Kasserine lies about
midway between the other two towns.
The only bright spot in the
Tunisian picture was the continuing
advance of the British Gen. Hernard
L. Montgomery's British 9th Army,
which reached the Mareth Line at
both Medenine and at Foum Tata-
nouine after a 45-mile dash in two
days.
CThe German radio in broad
cast recorded by the Associated
Press in London said an attack
by the 9th Army started yester-
day against the southern flank
of Rommel's forces on broad
'front.'
Decisive Defeat for Americans.
In their first about armored
battle Of this war against the Ger
mans, forward field reports indi-
Gated, American tank formations
have suffered a decisive defeat
which observers here likened to that
received by the British at Ain ell
Gazala, west of Tobruk, last sum-
mer when Rommel began his ad-
vance into Egypt.
The final result did not appear
likely to be as serious as the Libyan
battle last summer, however, be-
cause the British lst Army in the
north and the advancing British
9th Army in the south both menaced
Rommel on his flank.
Field reports indicated the Ger
mans had captured a considerable
portion of the American armored
equipment, including new medium
Gen. Sherman tanks.
Counterattack Held Unlikely.
1t was not known how much of
this equipment Rommel would be
able TO repair and use or how great
his own losses were. but it was
strongly indicated that the German
attack had succeeded in destroying
American armored strength TO the
point where any advantage by a
successful counterattack in the near
future was unlikely.
The enemy's new advance in
l., = l. i,
on a 30-mile front Washing
ton military observers, however,
said yesterday that stronger Al
lied lines were prepared in the
hills TO the rear, and predicted
(See AFRICA, Page Apo