Evening star., 1943-04-17
Eisenhower
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Eisenhower
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shirt, the officer received CORE
spondents after a tWo-day trip to tht
northern front during which he in.
spected the Beja area. scene of a re.
cent battle. He also inspected de.
stroyed Mark VI tanks, the 6O-tor
Tigers of the Nazis.
The general reviewed the entire
North African campaign from the
first landings, saying that "astound-
ing" results had been achieved in the
air and on the sea.
Admiral (Sir Andrew Browne,
Cunningham estimates that by com
blned Allied sea and air action ap-
proximately SO per cent of the ship
ping carrying supplies to Africa have
been destroyed" Gen. Eisenhower
said.
Prevented Stand BY Rommel.
1T has been obvious since the start
of the campaign that Tunisia is the
key position of the African cam
paign," he added I'VE landed and
were mainly concerned only in Sc
curing Oran, Algiers and Casa
blanca. We did not bring along
heavy forces, equipped for a drive
eastward"
The commander then explained
that 1t. Gen. K. A. N. Anderson S
British 1st Army was only a small
force which had taken great risks
in an effort to seize Tunisia late last
fall from under the nose of the
Axis
That early drive did obtain great
results, although it did not reach
Tunis," he said. 1T crowded the
Germans into a narrow front and
provided lines from which we were
able to hammer Rommel's supply
lines and never let him gather
enough strength to stand against
the British 9Th Army.
The results in the air have been
astounding. For example on April
10, our air forces destroyed SO Ger
man planes in the air, SANK one Ital-
ian cruiser and damaged. another"
Both Air Marshal Sir Arthur Ted
der. air commander, and 1t. Gen
Carl Spaatz, chief of the Northwest
African air force, attended the con-
ference.
Cooperation Praised.
Gen. Eisenhower estimated the
Allied air campaign nad drawn Is
per cent of the German fighter
strength to the Mediterranean and
Sir Arthur nodded agreement.
Taking up the recent breaking of
the Mareth Line in Southern Tu-
nlsia, Gen. Eisenhower asserted the
operations had been a perfect ex-
ample of what 'co-operation of land
sea and air forces could do
Gen. Sir Harold Alexander was
in complete charge of all ground
forces on the Tunisian front" Gen
Eisenhower said. The American I'd
Army Corps and the British 'st
Army were given duties which they
performed well. 1t was obvious from
the start that the 9th Army, with
six trained divisions. would have to
be the spearhead of any thrust.
The Americans were given the
job of doing three things: % To
draw off Axis strength from the
Mareth Line by pushing forward in
the Ell Guetar region: (2) establish
ing a large supply base for the 9th
Army so that when Gen. Mont
gomery's forces broke through they
would have the power to keep going
and 80 to capture air fields that
could give cover for the 9th Army
drive
Because they accomplished these
tasks successfully, Montgomery was
able to smash through the German
defenses, catching Rommel by sur
prise"
Gen Eisenhower said Rommel was
caught by surprise because the Ger
mans believed the 9th Army was
not ready for the big push.
meanwhile in the north, the 1st
Army carried out a series of at
tacks successfully engaging the
Germans in that area" Gen. Eisen-
hover said. "As a result of this
combined effort, there was nothing
for Rommel to do but run like hell
when the 9Th Army broke through
which he did.
L regard AleXander's dispositions
OF troops as a fine example of mill
tary work. Gen Eisenhower said.
Gen. Eisenhower was lavish in
his praise of the American anc
British air forces which, he said
made the advances aground posi-
BILE. The general said that Admira,
OF the Fleet Cunningham bad re-
ported that Royal Navy submarines
alone had sunk more than 1000. .OOC
tons of Axis shipping in the Medi-
terranean since the start of the
war"
The general warned that hare
fighting could be expected from now
on and that advances would be
difficult and costly"
"Rommel is master of light flax
and he has concentrated grea,
quantities of it in the bridgehead
which has made air operations diff.
cult" Gen. Eisenhower said NC
one must underestimate the fight.
ing qualities of the German soldier
which, combined with the lavish
use of mines, is certain to make
progress slow"
The general said the German:
had been sowing mines heavily ir
Tunisia and that. by commanding
the mine fields with mortar fire
had turned the mine into IAN Of
fensive instead of defensive
weapon"