Imperial Valley press., 1943-04-28
Allies S
II e rim ! q
= ! 'uniis

- - - - - - AN
TIERS, North Africa, April
Is. (UP)-American infan-
try drove the enemy from
three strategic hills in north
Tunisia and were reported advanc-
ing on the town of Jeffna today as
Allied armies again thrust forward
on key sectors TO within 81 airline
miles of Tunis
German and italian troops in
strong positions were fighting des-
perately to prevent an Allied break
through to the Tunis plains-only
four miles away in the Pont Du
Fahs Sectcr-but a headquarters
spokesman said that lit appears
unlikely tha, the enemy will be
able To offer prolonged resistance
under our overwhelming pressure"
/ GENERAL WARNS
a general of the British Eighth
army, however, warned that the
Axis still was being reinforced and
would fight in the hills TO the last
man, dashing hopes of a quick vic
/ Tory regardless of when Tunis it
self falls.
/ Tuesday was a day of hard fight
ing in which the Allied forces edged
forward q few miles east of Medjez-
El-Bab, where they have 10 miles
to go to the plains, and around the
key junction OF Pont Du FahS,
where French advance units pushed
10 the outskirts of the town and
met a furry of machine gun and
artillery fire. Fail of Pont Du Fahs
would undermine the Axis south
front and open one road to TuniS.
The British Eighth army also
gained a few miles in hard fighting
in the hills southeast of Pont Du
Fahs.
FRENCH ADVANCE
On the extreme northern sector
of the Tunisian front, the French
advanced along the coast to a point
less than five miles from the in
, land lake known as Garaet Achkel
, and about 20 or % miles from Biz
. erte.
The American advance in the
north captured three main hills
Djebel Dardyse, Djebel Azzag, and
Djebel AJred-and a number Of
smaller heights. The capture of
Djebel Aired, however, had been
|. reported Tuesday in a United Press
dispatch from the front which told
OF the Americans being repulsed
at Djebel Azzag.
The American End corps fighting
along the Sedjenane road toward
Mateur, drove the enemy off Djebel
Dardyse, which lies six miles west
of Garaet Achkel. This advance
was made by the northern wing of
the American forces, which yester-
day had encountered strong NaZi
positions.
CAPTURE TWO HILLS
A few miles farther south, the
Americans captured two strategic
, hills called Djebel Azzag and Djebel
Aired, which lie on opposite sides
of the road from Sedjenane to Ma
teur A dispatch from United Press
Correspondent c. r. Cunningham,
with the American forces, said that
, infantry cleaned up these heights
late Tuesday after hard fighting
in which they were once hurled
back from the slopes of Djebel Az
gag They also occupied Sidi N'Sir.
Moving against the village of
Jeffna, u miles from Mateur, the
Americans stormed two hills rising
1900 and 1,500 feet and consoli-
dated their positions, after which
they began pushing forward through
heavy mine fields.
: NEW ADVANCES
Farther TO the south, the Brit
iSh First army made new advances
despite q few German counterat-
tacks against the Allied salient east
and northeast of Medjez- l-Bab
where the British are within eight
miles OF the Tebourba junction and
1. 21 miles Of Tunis The British
! spearhead had reached a point 400
: yards from the summit Of Djebel
Bou Aoukaz in heavy fighting. They
took 80 to 40 prisoners.