The Waterbury Democrat., 1943-05-04
Allies Seek to Collapse
Whole Axis Front West
of Tunis
BRITISH THREATENING
TEBOURBA FROM WEST
Strong Nazi Resistance Is
Expected By Amerks;
French at FerryvilIe
BY VIRGIL PINKLEY
united Press Staff Correspondent

United Press Staff Correspondent
Allied Headquarters, North
Africa, May 4. - CUP -
American shock troops fan
ned out north and south Of
the captured north Tunisian
junction OF Mateur today in
swift new advances toward
Bizerte laval base and
against the right flank OF
Axis defenses before Tebour-
ba on the road to Tunis.
Supported by powerful artillery
concentrations and spanked by
heavy air assaults through stormy
sfies against the Bizerte and Tunis
areas the U. S. Corps was seeking
- collapse the whole Axis front west
OF Tunls in conjunction With gains
by the British 1'.gSy Army, which
seized two more hills - No. 443 and
No. 416 - 10 miles north of Medjez-
El-Bab
The American advance south OF
Mateur reached a point u miles
due east OF Sid NSir. On road
running TO Tebourba. This puG the
Americans only 10 miles from Te-
bourba, which the British were
again threatening from the south
and west.
The British advance units gained
about a. mile ard a half in cap
turing the 1,400foot hills and were
now some 10 miles due north of
Medjez- El-Bab.
Patrol Activity Increases
On the southern front, there was
intensified patrol activity by the
British Eighth Army and increased
artillery exchanges. again indicat-
Ing preparations for b.g-scale fight
ing.
The American and French adj
Vances In northern Tunisia within
less than Is miles OF Bizerte
where Allied soldiers could hear
Allied bombs exploding on air fields
were made possible by the fall
OF Mateur junction, 20 miles south
west Of the naval base, at II n. m.
Monday.
The Americans, in cooperation
with the French, Immediately
pushed northward along the To-
mile road TO Ferryvillc, which hes
between Lake Achkel ard Lake
Bizerte, 10 miles from the city OF
Bizerte. CA London broadcast said
Ferryville was under American ar
tillery fire which had also made
Bizerte airdromeS untenable)
Headquarters at noon today had
no definite information as to how
far the Americans and French had
gone toward Ferryville, where they
are expected to meet strong German
resistance, but American bomberS
heavily attacked the Bizerte air
drome Monday. Today's communi-
que merely described the advance
in the north as continuing beyond
Mateur.
French troops were pushing to-
ward the northwest corner OF Lake
Achkel, which may outflank the
enemy's Ferryville defenses.
American artillery units wer
officially singled out for high praise
In the operations in northern tn
nlsia, where the maSsed fire OF
United States Long Toms" were
cited as one Of the main reasons foI
IA fast advance.
The actual capture of Mateui
came suddenly. The French on
the northwest realized Sunday that
the enemy was pulling out OF de-
Tense positions west Of Lake Achkel
At the same time, the Americans
to the south sensed the enemy re-
tirement and Immediately threw in
a hard-hitting attack.
One American advance unit
reached the road junction six miles
northwest of Mater by early morn
ing. A reconnaissance unit was
sent ahead while this area was be-
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