The Waterbury Democrat., 1943-01-06
BRITISH CAPTURE
 STRATEGIC HILLS
Continued rom Page D

guards had entrenched behind Wadi Fem Fem between Buerat Fl Hsur and Gheddahia, 28 miles inland from the gulf coast. It said Gen. Sir Bernard l.. Montgomery was speed ing his preparations Tor a renewed offensive to annihiiate RommelS remnants or drive the into Tunisia where they apparer y hoped tc consolidate with the Axis forces under Colleen. Walter Nehring.
 American and British planes from reinforcement port or the Tunisiar east coast, in a smashing daylight raid yesterday, Cairo communiquec reported. Axis installations were damaged.
 American flying fortress oper. ating from bases in Tunisia, bat tered the east coast port of Sfax scoring probable hits on an Axis cruiser and directly hitting two other enemy ships. Medium Ma rauder bombers raided the Axis aiI field at Kairouan, 20 miles west oi SouSSe.
 The battles of Tunisi aand Tripo- litania were gradually merging and the forces of Marshal Edwin Rom- mel and Lieut.. Gen. Walther Neh- ring were so close together that they were drawing on the same pool oi supplies and men.
 Mud restricted operations on ti.2 northern sector in Tunisia, but on the southern sector, where the Ger mans had suffered heavy losses in futile efforts to turn the Allied right flank, heavy fighting was reported raging.
 The Nazis' radio Vichy broadcast today that the Germans were at- [ cking west of Pichon, 56 miles west and slightly south of the bomb-battered Port of Sousse.
 Allied North African headuuart- CTS reported late yesterday that the Germans were regrouping in the Indjech- Cherichera hills, three miles east of Fonduk, which is just below Pichon.
 The French were holding a conn., manding hill one mile south of Fon- douk, which neither side claimed. Allied aircraft were sweeping the hills, harassing the Germans as they tried to regroup.
 The Germans attack Fondouk on Sunday, evidently expecting to find a weak French force there. Fren :h 75s, British 105S, American anti tank guns and Allied aircraft knock ed out more than half of the 20 to 30 tanks with which the Germans attacked Allied headquarters said l2 to IS German tanks were de- stroyed; dispatch reaching Madrid said at least 16.
 Brig. Gen. Jacques Le Clerc's fighting French forces, driving up from the Lake Chad region, was fighting enemy forces in southern Libya. but communique said ex- tremely unfaVorable atlnospheric conditions hindered operations.
 Le Clerc's forces probably were caught in the fringes of the rain- said-sleet storm slowing up Lieut.. Gen. Bernard L. MoGtgomery's Brit ish Eighth Army jn Tripoiitania.
 Dispatches from Cairo said the battles of Tunisia and Tripolitania gradually were becoming one, with the Germans and Italians backs 10 the sea. and the Allies around them on nearly all sides.
 Romniel. in Tripoiitania, and Neh- ring. In Tunisia, were now able to draw upon common pool Of slp- piles. brought in through Tunis, bizeFte and southern Tunlsian ports, these dispatches said.
 There stiii was no indication whether Rommel would try to make Q stand around Wadi Zemzem. Oi continue his withdrawal into Tunisia. these dispatches said. WadI 1emzem Is i7O miles east of TElp0Il Lt was believed, however, that 4 Inc Germans and Italians intended 10 go straight on to Tanisia, they would try to travel the last 30s miles aS. slowly hs possible for req. sons of prestige.
 No doubt the Germans and ftal- ems in TTipolitanla were taking cd. vantage Of the bad weather and subsequent grounding Of Allied air. craft to stud the coastal road witil mines and hooby traps.
 The dispatches from Cairo sale the German soldiers nov being cap. tured showed deterioration of Axli manpoWer.
 Pew of the Booriah. Sneerlng Nazll the British captured in ioli were iE evidence nov. Junior oflcer1 were below standard. and come ordinary soIdiefB he'd rickets. tuberculosis aE1 sli1h fook Ei4htg C lcn 1eg eel