Evening star., 1943-03-02
Allied Forces Capture SbeitIo,
Stop All Axis Attacks in North:
Larqest RAF Raids Blast Berlin
"a German Tanks
Knocked Out and
500 Troops Slain
By the Associated Press.

By the Associated Press
ALLIED HEADQUARTERS IN
NORTH AFRICA, March AL
lied troops have hurled back all
of Gen. Jurgen Won Arnim's at
tacks in Northern Tunisia
knocking out "a German tanks
in three days and killing at least
900 Axis troops, while in Central
Tunisia the Allies captured
Sbeitla and drove on 3 miles far
ther east.
In one of their most successful
days In the air in this campaign,
Allied air forces shot down Is Axis
planes yesterday, an Allied head
quarters communique announced.
The Germans made two more at
tacks yesterday toward Beja, west of
Tunis and a short distance south of
the Mediterranean Coast, but were
driven back after losing six tanks
in one action.
Some 20 miles to the south, Amer
leans and British struck out with a
counterattack northeast from Ell
Aroussa, killing at least 300 Axis
troops and wiping out some ma
chine-gun posts, front reports said.
300 More Are Killed.
Advices from the front reported
an estimate that another 300 enemy
troops had been killed in fighting in
the nearby Medjez- Ell Bah Goubel-
lat area.
The Germans made their main
thrust toward Beja and advanced to
a point about seven miles from the
town before being hurled back. Be-
sides that, they launched an in
fantry attack at Toukabeur, about
six miles northwest of Medjez-El-
Bah, which also was beaten back.
Meanwhile, American troops ad-
vancing on Field Marshal Erwin
Rommel's trail entered Sbeitla, Kas-
serine and Feriana. Field reports
said the three towns were occupied
without fighting.
Only the fall of Sbeitla was an
nounced in today's Allied head
quarters communique. Sbeitla is 18
miles northeast of Kasserine, while
Fernana is about 20 miles southwest
Of Kasserine.
Troops Advance Beyond Town.
In chronicling the capture of
Sbeitla, which occurred yesterday,
the war bulletin said:
"Sbeitla is in our hands Allied
forces continuing their successful
advance in the area 20 miles north
east of Kasserine occupied ySbeitla
March l and penetrated three miles
east of the town."
AS the enemy attacks in the north
lost their momentum, Allied head
quarters said, "details of enemy cas-
ualties during the past three days
show that he has paid heavy price
in men and material and has been
held in all sectors. A considerable
number of enemy tanks has been
destroyed"
In extreme Southern Tunisia, the
bulletin said, fighters attacked OBJ
jectives in the Mareth area, but
there was no announcement of land
action.
Both American and British planes
struck heavy blows at Axis air and
ground strength.
Merchant Ships Are Hit.
Flying Fortresses which are cut
ting deeper almost every day to-
ward the heart of the Italian war
effort struck at Palermo, in Sicily,
and flyers reported hitting five
large merchant vessels and several
smaller ones in the harbor. They
also damaged warehouses and dry
docks. There were two waves of
Fortresses. and gunners shot down
seven Axis fighters without suffer-
ing any loss themselves while Light
ming escorts shot down another
fighter.
One of the heaviest tolls of enemy
fighters of the campaign was taken
when Marauders with Lightning es-
Corts skinned within so feet of the
ground to attack a much bombed
railroad bridge at La Hencha, near
Sfax, and other targets.
They blew up the bridge and in
Commute battle with German
fighters, the American bombers shot
down four Messerschmitt zoos and
Focke-Wulf 1905 while their Light
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