Evening star., 1943-05-08
Chronology of War in Africa
Axis Loses All Colonies on Continent,
Faces 'Dunkerque' After Nearly Years

capitulation of Casablanca and oc-
cupation of Rabat.
November 13-British 9th Army
occupies Tobruk, Libya
November 15-United States SOL
diers clash with German troops
defending Bizerte in first regular
engagement OF war In Tunisia.
November 17-Montgomery's army
takes Derna.
November 19-British and United
States units smash to within IS
miles of Bizerte.
November 20-Bengasi is cut of
by British.
November 23-Dakar joins Allies
under Darlan
November 29-Allies fight way to
within IL miles of Tunis
December 1-Darlan takes over as
chief of state in French Africa
December Axis regains Tebour-
ba, 18 miles west of Tunis.
December 14-British oust ROM
mel from Ell Agheila.
December 23-United States troops
reach Dakar.
December 24-Darlan is assas-
sinated.
December 27-Giraud is named
French High Commissioner in
North Africa.
December 29-French Somaliland
formally becomes Fighting French
ally.
January 19-Peyrouton is appoint
ed Governor General OF Algeria.
January 21-Fighting French from
Lake Chad join Giraud's forces.
January 24-8th Army takes
Tripoli.
January 26-Ten-day meeting of
Roosevelt and Churchill at Casa
blanca is announced. ....
February 1o-Montgqmery's army
rolls into Tunisia.
February 18- Rommel drives
United States forces into Algeria.
February 25-United States troops
re-occupy Kasserine Pass.
March 18-Gafsa falls to Allies.
March 22-8th Army hacks way
into Mareth Line on 6-mile front.
March 29-Rommel fees fallen
Mareth Line.
March 3O-Gabes and Ell HANNA
fall to British.
April 6-8th Army breaches the
Wadi Ell Akarit Line
April Limited States and 9th
Army units meet Is miles east of
Ell Guetar.
April 10-British move through
Sfax, second largest Tunisian city.
April 11-Kairouan, Moslem holy
city and big Axis aerial base, is
abandoned to Allies.
April 12-Sousse is occupied by
Montgomery's army.
April 13-Allies ring Tunis- -Bizerte
bridgehead of Axis.
April 14-American Flying Fort
resses lead mass destruction of Axis
aerial strength.
April 15-British and French wrest
important heights from Axis in
hand-to-h hand fighting.
April IS Nazi counterattacks
beaten of in north; British drive
toward Tebourba.
April 18-Allies blast Tunisia
beachhead, wreck six ships, down 80
planes.
April 19-Allied airmen shoot
down 68 Axis air transports OF Tu-
nisia. totaling 96 in two days.
April 20-British 9th Army pene-
trates Enfidaville position of Axis.
April 22-British 1st Army cracks
big Axis attack southeast of Medjez-
el-Bab.
April 23-Allies' artillery and in
fantry crack open three salients in
Axis bridgehead; airmen destroy en-
tire feet of 20 German air trans
ports carrying troops and gasoline.
April 24-Allies closing in on BIZ
zerte from three directions: British
within % miles of Tunis.
April 25-French recapture Djebel
Monsour.
April 27-British advance to with
in % miles of Tunis; French reach
outskirts of Pont du Fahs: Amer
leans advance In Lake Achkel re-
gion. ..
April 28-British storm last hill
on Tunis road as Americans win
three heights barring road to Ma
teur and Bizerte.
April 29-United States troops
gain in North Tunisia; Axis fights
hard to hold all fronts.
April 30-Desperate Axis defensive
smashes reach proportion Of coun-
teronensive.
May limited States guns shell
Mateur after Americans storm hill
with fierce bayonet attack.
May 2-Americans and French
push closer to Mateur and Bizerte;
Giraud forecasts Allied victory this
month.
May 3-Americans occupy Mateur,
smashing fierce Axis resistance in
14-mile plunge: other Americans
and French within Is miles of BIZ
zerte.
May 4HAmericans and French
come within heavy artillery range of
Bizerte; Americans pushing from
Mateur toward Bizerte and Tunis.
May 5-Americans and French
only 10 miles from Bizerte; Amer
leans threaten German troops hold
ing up British lst Army 20 miles
from Tunis.
May 1Allies smash outlying
Tunis and Bizerte defenses, take
Massic1ult; Allied airmen drive the
enemy from the sky.
May ALLIED troops penetrate
outskirts Of both Tunis and Bizerte.