Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1943-03-11
NoZi Retreat Path to Smo|ensk
Narrowed by Advancing Soviets;
Violent Clash Near in 7unisio
Axis Attack Beaten
Off in North, Town
Near Gofsu Taken
BY he Associated Press.

ALLIED HEADQUARTERS IN
NORTH AFRICA, March IA
battle rivaling the struggle at
Stalingrad in bitterness and in
tensity appeared in the off1ng
today as the British 9Th Army
made exploratory stabs at Mar
shall Erwin Rommel's forces in
the Mareth Line.
This was the conclusion reached by
some military observers in close
touch with the African fighting. They
agree that Rommel's failure to Grip
pie the 6th Army in his weekend
attacks was serious blow and de
clare his heavy losses in men and
material mean that the Axis has
reached the peak in Tunisia and is
now on the down grade.
Meanwhile, Allied troops repulsed
an Axis attack yesterday in North
ern Tunisia west of Sedjenane and
captured the mining center Of Met
laoui, in the certnal region Is miles
southwest of Gafsa, a communique
announced today.
Heavy bombers attacked the enc
my air fields at Ell Aouina and La
Marsa, near Tunls, in operations
during which eight Axis fighters
were shot down.
Fires Left Burning.
Bombs were seen to burst over
both air fields" the communique
said. AT Ell Aouina aircraft on the
ground were hit and fires were left
burning"
Medium bombers attacked German
installations at CASA. and many
hits were seen on the target it was
announced.
Enemy vehicles, troops and gun
positions in the northern sector were
attacked by Allied fighters and other
sweeps were made in the central
area. From all operations, one Allied
plane failed to return.
After four months OF fighting
these facts were becoming evident:
l. With the royal navy controlling
the sea and Allied air forces holding
the whip hand in the air no Dun
kerque is possible for the Axis and
the only choice is for Rommel and
Col. Gen Jurgep Won Arnim to fight
to the finish in the manner of the
Nazi army trapped before Stain
grad.
Cut Heavily Into Strength.
2. American bomber sweeps over
the Mediterranean and surface and
submarine warfare are cutting
heavily into Rommel's strength
while gigantic Allied conveys arrive
safely, pouring in troops and NUM-
tions.
3. Despite his violent struggles,
Rommel is still in an exposed stra-
tegic position, facing the experienced
9Th Army in one direction and with
the newly battle-tempered British
American LIST Army on his flank ever
ready to slice his slender thread of
communications south from BIZ
zerte to the Mareth Line.
4. Tunisia must be cleaned up
quickly or the whole Allied Mediter-
ranean timetable to attack Europe is
likely to be thrown off schedule.
Violent Clashes Seen.
While observers agree that Axis
strength is certain to dwindle, the
death struggles are certain to be
bloody and violent right down to the
Tunisian beaches. 1t is certain that
the Germans will fight with all the
tenacity they showed at Stalingrad
and that the Allies are going to
suffer heavy casualties in clearing
Africa of the foe.
Beaten back now on every side,
the German generals can only fight
for time to keep the Allies too oc-
cupied to strike Europe itself, and
it is considered certain that Hitler
has given orders to hold Africa right
up to the last company. This is
borne out in the appearance of the
German Arny's latest tanks, planes
and equipment Oh this front.
1t Is self-evident, however, that
the Germans are growing weaker.
This is particularly true in the air.
where the Allies bomb Axis ports by
daylight in large formations.
1t is an unacceptable fact to any
one who has been III the battle lines
against the Germans in the last two
years that the Nazl air force. while
still potent over the battlefield
locally, is a thin shadow of the
striking force it cnce was.