Evening star., 1943-03-17
Berlin Believes
9Th Army Attack
|sMajor One
Beoverbrook Tells
Lords Bizerte -Tunis
Contest Is Near
By he Associated Press.

BY he Associated Press.
A Berlin broadcast reported to-
day that Gen. Sir Bernard L.
Montgomery'S British 9th Army
had launched an assault against
the 60-mile long Mareth Line in
Southern Tunisia, and Lord
BeaverbroOk told the House of
Lords in London that Il think
the contest Of TuniS and Bizerte
is not far off"
The scale of fighting cannot be
judged by reports so far available.
but Berlin quarters believe this is
a major attack" said the broad
cast, made by DNB, German news
agency
The British attacked at the coastal
end Of the Mareth Line at 1920
O'Clock last night and followed a
lively artillery barrage which in
creased TO a veritable cannonade,
DNB said.
Line Pounded from Air.
The report of the assault came
after an announcement at Allied
headquarters in North Africa earlier
today that a mighty Allied air strik-
ing force had pounded Marshal
Erwin Rommels dug-in positions
IN the Mareth Line and that an
AXIS convoy en- route to Tunisia
from Sicily had been blasted from
the air.
There was no immediate confr-
nation in London of reports that
big offensive was about to begin or
had already begun.
The Algiers radio, which is under
Allied control but is not official, said
preparations for an imminent AL
lied offensive were being intensified,
and the hour is approaching when
Axis forces will be driven out of
North Africa"
Equipment Rolled Up.
Reuters correspondent with the
9th Army said these desert veterans
were getting ready for an offensive"
"Armor, guns and fighting vehicles
OF all kinds are rolling up to the
front while massed. formations of
light bomberS are raiding targets
just behind the Mareth line" the
correspondent added.
British military observers conced.
ed that the 9th Army was preparing
an attack, but said only Gen. Sir
Bernard L. Montgomery knew when
it would come. These observers said
the Rrltjcb Uanorol y,oe Ln
plllng up war materials for an as
sault, patterned like that which
crushed Rommels defenses at Ell
Alamein.
Patrols Are Active.
The early communique said Allied
patrols were active along the entire
southern front. while bad weather
restricted flying in Central and
Northern Tunisia.
Heavy rain was reported in the
mountains in the north. but British
LIST Army patrols ventured out, m
f1icting casualties. North of the
GafSa Oasis in the center. contact
was made with some enemy tanks,
but the result was not specified.
Bombers attacked an Axis air.
field and the railway near the East
Coast port of GabeS.
Three Barges Hit.
At least three motor barges pro-
ceedlng from Sicily to Tunisia were
hit and left ablaze in the attack on
the convoy.
In all operations yesterday the
communique said one Allied plane
was lost. Two pilots of previously
reported lost planes turned up safe
and the communique raised the total
of enemy aircraft destroyed March
Is by two.
The Italian communiuue..
broadcast from Rome and re-
corded by the Associated Press,
said German planes had tor
pedoed two Allied ships and set
third af1re in convoy west of
Bengasi. The Italians claimed
the destruction of two Allied
submarines and said German
planes destroyed three grounded
planes in an attack on an Allied
alrdrome in North TunisiaD