Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1943-05-10
Continued From First Page.

'SOllGlIlutu TlOIIl TllSG TdSG.J
trails of sinking or burning vessel
at sea and shattered motor trans
ports and guns aground, we're with
out aerial opposition.
1t is Dunkerque reversed, but al
unsuccessful Dunkerque, for tn
British maintained local air supe
riority over the Channel during tn
historic withdrawal from France il
1910.
Prisoners so far taken include
5000 members of the German ali
force. Both the German and thu
Italian air forces have abandoned
the battle of Africa.
Most high commanders and many
pilots have left by plane.
Axis ground troops are without
any air support. The Axis is receiv.
ing what it inflicted on the British
as they left Greece, multiplied q
times.
French and British elements at.
tackled in the area of Zaghouan, q
miles south of Tunis, and are NOV
ing slowly ahead Resistance there
was still considerable, however, anc
the Germans were holding a strong
position on the hill of Sidi Bella
seven miles north northwest Of
Zaghouan.
The 9th Army attacked north Of
Enfidaville, made some gains anc
took some prisoners. On this south
ern front, German artillery was still
active.
Designed to Cover Retreat
The German resistance apparently
Is designed to cover the retreat Of
more elements into the Cap Bcr
Peninsula, but the most this car
achieve is to delay briefly the fina
cleanup of the TuniSian campaign
Among the German elements still
at large are remnants of the 18th
Armored Division which were not
involved in the surrender to the
I'd United States Corps, the 10th
and 2lst Armored Divisions and the
10th and 164th Light Infantry Divi-
sions.
Almost all the priSo-erS taken are
Germans. the bulk of the Italians
apparently having left ahead Of the
rush.
Both the German and Italian
high commands told of the sur
render of the Axis troops pock-
eted below Bizerte, but said they
fought until their ammunition
was spent in vain battle against
fresh and highly superior tank
formations which operated with
strong air support.
CThe German communicate,
broadcast from Berlin and
recorded by the Associated Press,
said that in the area southeast
of TuniS and in the southern
sector of the Tunisian front en-
FILTERED defensive fighting is
being continued" German heavy
bombers were reported to have
fired warehouses and ships in a
raid on the Algerian port of Bone
even as Allied squadrons rained
multiple blows on Axis strong
points across the Mediterranean
Narrows.D
tAn AlgierS radio broadcast
recorded in London said $4,000
prisoners had been taken, $4,000
Axis troops killed or wounded
and $50 tanks, 500 guns and 1000
trucks destroyed or captured
Blockade Emphasized.
Today's Allied communique empha-
sized the naval blockade of the Cap
Bon Peninsula, which it said would
be continued without remission
until the peninsula lis in Allied
hands and the last enemy troops in
North Africa have been accounted
for"
Naval and coastal forces were re-
the peninsula, the tip of which lies
80 miles from Sicily. and the COM
munique, without attempting to
cover all the operation said there
have been incidents in plenty"
A barge laden with troops, oil and
ammunition was sunk by Allied
naval action about 30 miles north
east of Cap Bon yesterday, a ship in
the Rasidda anchorage was blown
up by torpedo hit and an enemy
battery at Sidi Daoud was shelled
the communique said
The Pantelleria Air Field and air
dromes of Sardinia were among
Axis targets attacked across the
Mediterranean narroWs by Allied
aircraft.
The Communique told of 19 Axis
planes shot down in two operations
and said five Allied aircraft are
missing.
Allied planes. apparently unop-
posed, pounded at the retreating
enemy as powerful British armored
columns drove southeast of Tunis
in an attempt to cut his forces in
two and close the bottleneck en-
trance of the peninsula.
Great Load of Bombs Dropped.
The official announcement of the
American raid on Palermo said the
weight of bombs unloaded on the big
Sicilian base was five times greater
than the amount dropped in any
previous raid in the Mediterranean
theater.
Flying FortresSes, Mitchels and
Marauders escorted by Tightening
Fighters participated in the assault
which returning pilots said had
wiped out at an area about one mile
square around the harbor The de-
struction was described as stipend
Gus. and fires started by the raiders
were reported visible so miles away
Heavy four -engined bombers at
tackled at noon. and medium bomb.
ers 80 minutes later, hitting at such
targets as the Fiat Motor Works
shipyards, steel plants, an arsena
and a chemical plant. Fires WERE
said to have been visible for so miles
and reconnaissance planes were un-
able to make observations an houl
later. The Allied desert air force
meanwhile, delivered a 100-plane
raid on Pantellaria Island in the
Sicilian Strait.