The Waterbury Democrat., 1943-04-09
ROmmeI and Italian Allies Presumably Headed
 for Sfax
NAZI SHIPS CONFUSED,
 ENGAGE EACH OTHER
2S,OOO Italians and Ger. mans Captured Since
 Tunisian Fight Started
BY VIRGIL PINKLEY United Press Staff Correspondent


 United Press Staff CorFespOndsmsS
 Allied Headquarters, North Africa, April 9. - (UP) - United American and British armies, striking along a new line running from Maknassy past Mezzouna and toward the sea near Mahares, drive the Axis from South Tunisia under heavy air attack to- day while small British naval craft torpedoed two more enemy supply ships off the northern coast.
 The British Eighth Army. cap, turing $500 prisoners in all as it pressed northward along the coastal road to Oraiba and Mahares, and the American forces under General George s. Patton, Jr., were last re- ported on line running roughly from Maknassy to the hills dom mating MeZzouna and thence to- ward Mahares, but 1t was not cer- tain whether Mahares had yet fallen to the British.
 Retiring Northward
 The Afrika Korps under Marallei Erwin Ronmel and their Italian Allies were, however, retiring north ward from the sack which the Allies were attempting to draw around them and presumably were headed for Sfax. Mopping tir operations were in progress behind the Allied lines.
 Meantime, the British First Army in the north seized several import ant localities in the Medjez El Bah zone and the Royal Navy announced that small patrol motorcraft 0R the coast near Bizerte had attacked an enemy convoy of three supply ships under strong destroyer. E-boat and airplane escort. The British sank one supply ship with torpedoes and made two hits on a second. which probably sank.
 The convoy heavily shelied the British ships, causing minor damage and casualties, but as the British withdrew the enemy ships were confused and engaging each other.
 Tn both the north and south, toe days communique said, the Allies captured $500 prisoners in addition to a number of others not speoifi- cally listed.
 The havoc spread among Rom- mel's retiring forces was illustrated by the fact that Allied airplanes destroyed at least l30 enemy ve- hicles in the last two days and damaged at least 200 others. Strong Allied air forces kept up a steady attack. flying low and bombing and shooting up enemy columns. They also hit the Sfax rau station with two-ton block buster bombs.
 Nevertheless. Axis conveys by sea and by air still are arriving in Ttlnisia to supply the enemy. indi- eating Rommel intends to fight to. the bitter end before attempting to evacuate even a few thousands of his officers and best troops.
 GA British broadcast today said that the Eighth Army vas about @ miles from Sfax and that Americans in the Maknassy sector were only a little more than 20 miles from Junction with the British spear headD.
 Previous dispatches reported capture of almost 10000 prisoners since the final phase of the battle of Tunisla started, thus apparently making a total of about 10000 t0 25.0OO so far. Most of them were Italian whom the Germans had used largely for rear-guard actionl.
 On the South Tunisian front. the British Eighth Army under Gen Sir Bernard L.. Montgomery con- tinued "close pursuit" Of Marshal
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