Evening star., 1943-04-30
Army Halls
C0unterdttdcks
In North Tuniisid
Americans Report New
Gains After Repu|se
Of German Blows
BY the Associated Press.

BY the Associated Press.
ALLIED HEADQUARTERS IN
NORTH AFRICA, April 3O.-Al-
lied troops edged forward on both
wings of the Tunisian front yes
terday, while 1t. Gen. K. A. N.
Anderson's 1st Army fought off
powerful Nazi counterattacks in
the Medjez-El-Bab area to hold
all but one small section of its
positions before the Tunis plain,
it was announced today.
American artillery was active
overnight during heavy fighting on
the sector southwest of Mateur and
the battery salvoes were increased
this morning to a steady barrage,
said dispatch from that salient.
Fifteen Focke-Wuf 1905 were re-
ported to have attacked front line
positions in the largest enemy air
action in that area in several days.
The I'd United States Army Corps,
pushing through Northern Tunisian
mountains toward Tunis and Bizerte,
made further local advances, the AL
lied communique said.
A French high command bulletin
said French forces had pushed to
Djebel Touro in the north coastal
sector in 2i2 mile advance and, Ia
miles southeast OF Pont du Fahs,
conquered the l,7l2-foot Djebel Der
hafla
French and American detach-
ments were reported in a dispatch
filed from the field last night to have
fought their way to within 20 air.
line miles OF Bizerte, wiping out con-
cealed German machine-gun nests
in cross country advance
The dispatch said these men were
within miles of Lake Achkel. the
western shore of which lies II miles
from Bizerte. Lake Achkel flows
into Lake Bizerte, which empties
into the Mediterranean near the
Axis-held naval base.
Substantial Advances.
American intantrymen were re-
ported to have made substantial ad-
vances across the high ground north
Of Sidi N'Sir. itself 35 miles south
west of Bizerte. and compelled the
Germans to draw back to Diebel
Anntra to avoid being outf1anked.
Between these two fields of COM
bat, the Americans made progress
around the heavily fortified Jefna
position guarding the road to Ma
teur. Fields and roads about Green
and Bald Hills there were found
soWn with hundreds of mines and
BOBBY traps.
A military spokesman said the
American forces launched an attack
4 miles east of Sidi Nsir against
German gun emplacements on Hill
609-Djebel Tahent-which DOM
mates the valley extending 16 miles
northeastward to the Mateur road
junction, but met strong resistance
and failed to reach the summit.
Nazi troops counterattacked repeat
edly against American lines south
of the hill, but all the thrusts were
repelled
8th Army Gains Goal.
Gen. Sir Bernard Montgomerys
9th Army mounted local attack on
, the southern front and gained its
objective, the communique an
nounced, adding that Ian enemy
counterattack in this sector achieved
slight success.
German tanks and infantry
struck heavily again at 1st Army
lines in the Medjez-el-B Bah sector
but the communlque said that, with
the exception of one small gain by
the enemy in the Medjerda River
area. all attacks were repulsed with
heavy loss to the enemy and our
forward positions were maintained"
The military spokesman described
the fighting in the lst Army zone as
"bloodier than in some time He
said the Germans were making every
effort to hold their own positions
and to drive the British from re-
Gently gained high ground.
First Army troops dug in on the
slopes of Djebel Bou 'Aoukaz. IL
miles northeast of Medjez-El Bah,
were reported by the communique to
have met the main Nazi thrust,
throwing back the attacks with
severe losses for the Germans.
The crest of Djebel Bou Aoukaz,
like Long Stop Hill which fell earlier
in the week, is heavily defended by
the enemy troops, who realize it's
Importance as a bastion guarding
the fiat stretches of the Medjerda
Valley.
Other battles ragged in the same
general area.
British troops drove to the top of
Sidi Abdulla, a hill IL miles east of
Medjez-el-Bab, early yesterday and
held it against a tank supported
counterattack. Ten Axis tanks were
destroyed
The Germans counterattacked
with 40 tanks and two battalions of
about l,600 infantrymen to the
north. This also was unsuccessful