Evening star., 1943-04-13
British Seizure
Of EnfiduviI|e
Is Reported
BY the Associated Press

ALLIED HEADQUARTERS IN
NORTH AFRICA, April 13.-Al-
lied armored units punched
through meager enemy rear
guard defenses below Enfidaville
and Djebebina, II miles to the
west, today as Marshal Erwin
Rommers forces were gradually
driven into narrower space at
the top of the Tunisian penin-
sula.
Enfidaville is q miles north of
SouSse. This town and Djebebina
are both about so miles south of
Tunis.
The British 1st Army also gained
ground on the west side of the Axis
positions in ,the Medjez-El-B Bah
area.
French troops mopping up the
grand dorsal range captured Djbebel
Kerachoun. II miles south of Die
bebina, which is an important in
land road junction.
(The Algiers radio, in broad
cast recorded in London, said the
British 9th Army had occupied
Enf1daville. An earlier broadcast
said nearly the whole of the Ital-
ian Vittoria Division had been
captured.
(The German radio said that
Axis tank and motorized forces
ho1 cfr To
against the 9th Army north of
Sousse and Kairouan and that
the surprise assault, resulting in
heavy losses for the British,
forced them to withdraw
(Tonight's French communique,
recorded in London from the Al
giers radio, said nearly 1000 pris-
oners were taken northeast Of
Kairouan, an area described as
completely occupied by the AL
lies)
Engage Axis Rearguards.
Gen. Sir Bernard L. Montgom-
ery's seasoned 9Th Army patrols
engaged rearguards of the Afrika
Korps on the coastal road between
Lake Kelbia and the sea as Rom
mel maintained his withdrawal
through the Enfidaville line under
constant pressure.
1t. Gen. K. A. N. Anderson's Brit
ish LIST Army troops were last re-
ported Is miles north of Kairouan
and pressing on rapidly.
While French troops mopped up
the Djebel Ousselat on the west
flank and continued to advance
northward along the grand dorsal
range. the list Army in the Medjaz-
El-Bab area, 35 miles southwest of
Tunis, captured additional hill ad-
vantage points.
Meanwhile, Maj. Gen. James H.
Doolittle's Flying Fortresses con-
tinued their heavy assaults, bombing
a convoy of II tank carriers and
other vessels in the Sicilian Straits
and scoring several near misses
They blasted Bizerte, where a me-
dium sized cargo vessel was hit di-
rectly; many more bombs were
planted on both the north and south
sides of the channel, and fire was
started in the seaplane base. They
battered Tr3pani harbor in Sicily,
where a number of powered barges
and large tanker were hit.
Further Blows to Axis.
The Axis air forces suffered fur
ther blows from Wellingtons, Balti-
mores and Halifaxes which attacked
the airfield at Ste Marie Du Zit, 27
miles south of. Tunis. At least 10
fires sprang up in the wake of heavy
loads of high explosives and incen-
diary bombs dropped in Sunday
night attacks and other fires were
started when Mitchells blasted the
place twice yesterday.
(Reuters carried dispatch
from Zurich, Switzerland, which
reported that 1000 Italian SOL
diers were said to have perished
when an italian transport was
torpedoed off Tunis by British
submarine
Oudna landing ground, IL miles
south of Tunis, also was torn apart
in raid bv Bostons and Mitchells.
The RATS wellington bombers
did considerable damage among
Rommel's troop and transport con-
centrations at Enfdaville, Bou
Ficha, coastal town IA miles to the
north, and zaghouan, 18 miles
northwest of Bou Ficha.
Altogether the Allies shot down
seven Axis planes yesterday and lost
two, the communique said.
Naples Is Raided.
Liberator bombers from the des-
ert air force again raided Naples
Sunday night and left hits on the
Victor Emmanuel mole and in the
.. vicinity of the shipbuilding works.
Other Allied planes from Malta
attacked railways and factories at
PozZallo on the southeast coast of