The Waterbury Democrat., 1945-05-23
British Capture TripoIi

Five weeks later, Montgomery's columns marcAed into Tripoli sweeping up the last remnants of Italy's tattered colonial empire The next week, the British tanks rolled across the Tunisian border, and the North African war appeared near the showdown phase The stage seemed set for the Allied pincers to clamp shut once and for all on ROmmelS desert army.
 But once, again, the Germans battle experience threw the Allied plan out of gear. While the Amer jeans were gathering themselves for a westward smash along a line some 70 miles below Tunis, one German force suddenly faked a thrust at the Ousseltia and Pont du Fans area, about 35 miles to the north. The Allies rushed to plug the gap and Rommel's crack 21st Panzer division struck swiftly through Faid Pass, 20 miles south of the original Allied positions.
 The Americans reeled back. The Germans pressed their advantage hard. In vicious scrambling fight ing, the Mai division drove forward 32 miles past bloody Kasserine Pass and afsa. Then it streamed out onto the 4O00 squade miles of coas- tai plain stretching to the Algerian border.
 The rest of Ronlmels divisions meanwhile, took advantage of the Allied withdrawal to stiffen their positions along the Mareth Line, the southern wall of their Tunis-Bi- zerte coffin co1ner." Montgom- ery's army came up short against this barrier, a fairly strong row of Notifications erected by the French against the Italians, early in Feb ruary.
 Yanks Turn On Nazis
 The American retreat toward AL geria continued for Il days. The NaZi objective was to split the Tanks from the British 1st army in Northern Tunisia and to smash them both before the British 9th could come to their rescue. Several times, the Americans launched sa- wage counter attacks, but their in- experience led them into bloody traps and cost them heavy casual ties.
 It was this greenness alone, not lack of courage or fighting abil- ity, that kept hampering the Am erican effort. They finally seized the chance to prove this conclusive ly at Thala, just short of the AL gerian border. There they eXecut- ed one of the most difficult of mili- tary tricks. Throwing up a wall of tanks and artillery, they turned on their pursuers, halted them, and then, drawing on their last reserves of stamina, threw the Nazi drive into reverse.
 Once started, the counter thrust moved quickly. Kasserine Pass was reoccupied late in February, and a week later Gafsa was back in Am erican hands. By the middle of March. U. S., British and French forces were ready to join hands for the final push. The British lSt army was nassed in the north. In the center, American and French forces were poised along 150- mile line centering about 100 miles southwest of Tunis. The mighty British 9th was drawn up in the south. The Tunis-Bizerte trap was set for the snapping.
 This time it snapped First, Mont gomery threw hammer-and-tongs diversionary attack directed at the Mareth Line. He knew Rommel was expecting such an assault from the vaunted 9th. Meanwhile, ne dispatched three of his best divi- sionS across several miles of salt desert around the German west flank.
 The final attack, launched March 26 was irresistible, supported by a full-fledged Monty barrage." By nightfall, the 9th had hacked out 10-mile advance.
 Evacuation Rolled
 The American 2nd army crops supported the advance by slamming westward from Fl Guettar, just be- low Gafsa, while the British 1st stepped up it's pressure on Gen Jlrgen von Arnim's armies to the north. Romnel retreated swiftly northWard through the olive trees Three days later, he was digging new positions near GabeS, 50 miles above the Mareth Line.
 The tide of battle ran fast after that Hill after strategic hill fell to the hard-driving Americans, includ- ing the stubbornly-defended Hill 609. the jagged precipice near Ma teur that the Yanks nicknamed "Djibel Devil" Bomb-ripped SfaX, 120 miles below Tunis, fell April 10, and Sousse, 75 miles farther north. two days later, Everywhere