The Waterbury Democrat., 1943-05-14
ALLIED TANKS NO
 MATCH FOR NAZIS
German Mark VI Far Supe- riOr; Enemy Guns,
 Planes Inferior
BY EDWARD W. BEATTIE United Press Staff Correspondent

BY EDWARD W. BEATTIE United Press Staff Correspondent
 Allied Headquarters, North Africa, May 14.-(UP)-Allied airmen who saw American and British planes take command of the skies during the Battle of Tunisia said today that, by late summer, the German Luftwaffe would be little more than shattered remnant in comparison with the Allied air armada.
 The German Air Force was beat en in Tunisia and that defeat has, tened the surrender of Axis ground forces.
 DlTing the last five weeks of fighting on the front line, this cor respondent did not see single dog fight in the air. The Germans made few sneak raids, but that was all. The lack of air support told on the morale of the German troops, who were attacked incessant- ly by Allied planes.
 We never see our own planes" complained one German prisoner at Tunis.
 American and British artillery likewise were superior. The Ameri- can long toms were probably the most accurate and most punishing guns in Tllnisia The Germans hated them.
 The British 25-pounders, massed one every seven yards, blasted a path for the final break through toward Tunis as they had prepared advances through the hills around Medjez-El-Bab. Germans who sur rendered in that area said they had not liked the Russian artillery but added
 "Gott huete uns vor den Eng laendern." God preserve us from the English)
 The Allies will move on to new campaigns with the knowledge that they have superiority in planes and big guns. But they have nc tanks to equal the German Mark VI Tigers" and no all-purpose gun to equal the German 88's. Both of those deficiencies can be remedied, however.
 The American Sherman is the best tank for its weight in the world but 1t is much lighter than the Mark VI. The Churchill tank also has been used with remarkable succes by the Allies.
 All of Hitler's big victories of the past have been won by concentrat- ing his preponderance of men and weapons where 1t would do the most good and using it ruthlessly. That should be the Allies aim and the drain on Germany along the Rus sian front should afford them a good opportunity.
 The Germans fought like tigers up to the breaking point in Tunisia but they proved that they were not invincible when they met their match.
 The Axis armies broke and ran at Tunis and Bizerte because-as they had at Sta1ingrad-they suddenly found themselves fighting an enemy who could fight better and longer than they could. Once they broke under the attacks of May 5 and 6, they cracked so 6ast that further resistance was hobeless.
 It was hopeless because they had counted on another 48 or 72 hours of preparation and swarming Amer 1can and British divisions did not let them get 1t.
 That, in the opinion of this cor respondent who witnessed the spec tacle of armed Germans advancing to surrender, was the real cause of the collapse of the Axis bridgehead which Hitler probably wanted to de- fend until July or August while he developed another campaign else- where.
 The Americans lacked experience at the start of the campaign and were short of experienced commis- stoned and non-commissioned off, cerS.
 They learned the hard way. From early December to mid-arch the campaign was series of disappoint- ments for the Americans. But when the final assault began, they were eager and ready. They kept plug ging.
 One German with four days growth of beard moaned: By God, they won't even let you get little hit of Sleen at night"