The Durant news. (Durant, Miss.) 1882-1985, 1943-03-11
A Week Of The War

Forces in the Battle of the Bis
marck Sea carried implications al
most as the great victory itself
In reporting u complete success
against the Japanese convoy, Cen
eral Macarthur said it could not fail
to have "most important results" on
the enemy's strategic and tactical
plans-because, in addition to losing
10 warships, IL transports, SIS planes,
an estimated $4,000 troops and I'M
known numbers of naval personnel,
the Japanese failed in their attempt
to reinforce their hard-pressed forces
in Northeast New Guinea. AS a re-
suit of this ''major disaster" the
Jap garrisons at Lac and Salamaua
must now face the Allies New Guinea
drive without the supplies and rein
forcements they so badly need.
Under Secretary of War Patter-
son said the Japanese loss Of Do
planes, as compared to our loss OF
four, was proportionately very high,
and showed the excellent work that
American aircraft of both Army and
Navy are doing in the Pacific.
Allies Reoccupy Tunisian Towns
News from Tunisia continued IA
vorable last week, as Allied fbrces
reoccupied Kasserine, Feriana and
Sbeitla. German concern over the
vigor and extent Of counter
attacks, said Under Secretary Pat
terson, was evidenced by their en-
pAoyment of mines and BOBBY traps
in their retreat in the central sec
tor, as we'll as by their own attacks
against the British in the North.
The battle for Tunisia is divided
into three fronts. In the central
sector, allied forces are pressing the
withdrawing Axis troops back along
the same roads they followed in
their original advance, driving on
South and Southwest of Sbeitla to
retake territories lost in the Ger
man drive a few weeks ago. In the
North. the British First Army has
repulsed several enemy attacks in
setbacks that cost the Axis heavily
in casualties and losses. South, in
the area of the Mareth line, allied
armored forces pushed ahead to en-
gage the Germans in infantry and
tank fightins. And supporting TINS
threefold offensive, allied planes
have been active over the entire
front, bombing enemy targets from
Tunis and Bizerte in. the North to
'Gabes and the Mareth line in the
South, and carrying devastating at
tacks against the enemy's equip
ment and forces in all three battle
areas.
Mr.. Patterson told he press that
British and IAngerlc pla es have
been striking succes fully IN. the
Mediterranean, against italy, Sardi-
MIA, Sicily and Tunlsia, and, citing
a recent engagement in which Allied
planes destroyed 25 enemy planes
with a loss of four, he said the score
in aerial combat continues favorable.
u. S. Planes Raid kiska
During February, IN nine previous
ly reported American air raids on
| Kiska in the Aleutians, at least l.
900 bombs were dropped and IL
enemy planes shot down. The Navy
communique that estimated this
| damage to the enemy-held base said
no u. S. planes were lost during
these operations.
The Battle of the Atlantic
Secretary of the Navy Knox, dis
cussing the submarine situation, told
reporters that the Germans have
between 800 and 400 submarines
available for operations in the AT
lantic. Sc pointed out, however
that a considerable portion OF thest
are not active, as a Large percentage
of their time is consumed in golnt
to and from selected areas of oper
ations. AS for the recent HAT m
USAAF bombings Of Nazi submarin'
bases on the Coast of France. MI
Knox said the attacks are provini
effective but just how effective i
terms of direct hits he could no
say,