Daily Post - 09.04.1943, Side 1

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Ritish Eighth Army
flliies Extend Gains !n North-Britisii First flrmy Also Lannches flttach
THE MAIN NEWS FROM TUNISIA IS OF GENERAL ANDERSON’S FIRST BRIT-
ISH ARMY HAVING LAUNCHED A STRONG AND SUCCESSFUL ATTACK IN THE
NORTH, AND THE LINKING UP OF THE BRITISH EIGHTH ARMY WITH THE AM-
ERICAN FORCES FROM THE WEST. SIMULTANEOUSLY STRONG ATTACKS HAVE
BEEN KEPT UP ON AXIS MEDITERRANEAN PORTS AND SUPPLY LINES.
The whole pattern of the
Allied North African offensive
has now become more definite
with the news given in today’s
official communique from
Allied HQ there of the new
strong Allied offensive in
Northern Tunisia, directed
against von Arnim’s positions
west of Tunis. While pressure
is increasing here, the British
Eighth Army continues to push
Rommel northwards along the
coastal road leading through
Sfax and Sousse, still farther
north, hemming the Axis in
within the confines of a long
and comparatively narrow rec-
tangle between the mountain
ranges in the west and the Me-
diterranean in the east, this rec-
tangular box being the only
bridgehead left the Axis in
Tunisia.
SUPPLIES-CAPTURED
l «
Meanwhile the relentless
barrage of Axis|aerodromes and
supply lines and against the
points linking the Axis African
bridgehead with Europe con-
tinues. This, in brief, is the pic-
ture as a whole.
Late dispatches told of the
first Army’s attack in the north.
This was launched at daylight
on Wednesday morning in the
Medjes el Bab sector some 35
miles west of Tunis, and the
Allied troops had taken the
main objectives on a ten mile
front, as well as a number of
prisoners.
Since then, the advance has
gone according to plan, and the
Allies have advanced from four
to five miles. The Allied force
has to cope with quite a supply
problem in this area, as they
have to rely largely on mule
transport. Today’s Italian com-
munique speaks of Axis troops
in the northern sector being en-
gaged in hard defensive fight-
ing.
A flash message late last
night told of the linking up of
the British Eighth Army with
General Patton’s American
forces advancing from the west.
The main spearhead of the
Eighth, it said, was chasing
Rommel northwards, along the
road to Sfax, while another
column advanced westwards to
meet the Americans.
*
LINK-UP IMPORTANT
This link-up is of great im-
portance to the Eighth Army, as
it means a new and a much
shorter supply line than the one
to Alexandria in the rear 1,500
mlies back. French troops, op-
erating on the Americans’
southern flank, report more
progress. They have taken some
prisoners, as well as 20 field
guns.
There is no definite news as
to just precisely how far the
desert army has advanced in
its northward drive., but it is
known that progress has been
steady, and today’s commun-
ique says that many prisoners
have been taken, as well as a
lot of abandoned enemy ma-
teriel. Of the prisoners taken,
it says that there are six Ital-
ians to every German.
AMERICANS ATTACK
The Axis forces are now con-
tained in a narrow rectangle,
200 miles long, and from 40 to
70 miles wide. On the southern
end of this rectangle is the
Eighth Army, and the American
2nd Corps on the left flank.
Further to the north, and on the
western side of the bridgehead
there lies a natural barrier of
hills, still ,in German hands,
with passes well fortified. Dis-
patches today indicate that the
American forces attacking in
the Maknassi area, have now
reached the mouth of the most
southerly of these passes. In the
northernmost sector of the
western side of the rectangle, as
we have seen, the British First
Army is operating.
RECORD AIR-ACTIVITY
But what about the other two
sides of the rectangle? is a
natural question. The answer to
that is—the Royal Navy, and
finally, the whole area is cov-
ered by an Allied air force of
terrific striking power, a force
with and of but one mind, to
strike the Axis, and to strike
hard.
Yesterday was another day of
record air activity, and the of-
ficial communique gives the
summary of the day’s and
night’s operations. Tuesday
night heavy bombers flew to at-
tack the harbour at Naples,
where large fires were started,
while others heavily raided the
docks at Messina. Enemy objec-
tives at Tunis itself, as well as
S-fax, were successfully attack-
ed, and Axis transports be-
twec-n Sfax and Sousse were
h jív pounded.
Eden-DiscDSses
American Trip
London, April 8. — Mr. Ant-
hony Eden has told the House
of Commons about his visit to
America and Canada, declaring
that he was convinced that no
mission he had ever undertaken
had been fundaméntally more
worth while.
In the United States he had
had discussions wide in scope
with American leaders, and had
informal talks with both Houses
of Congress, and various Am-
erican Service Chiefs. These
discussions had come under
three main heads.
THREE PHASES
First—the immediate conduct
of the war; second—the poli-
tical aspecí of the war, and
thirdly—planning for the peace.
Of the first obviously he was
not in a position to give details,
but it was sufficient to say that
the Prime Minister, Mr.
Churchill, had expressed his
satisfaction with those.
As to the second, the British
and the Americans were in com-
plete agreement as to the future
policy of both these countries
in regard to France. It was only
the fact that the United States
had maintained relations with
Vichy as long as possible that
enabled them to place agents in
North Africa to open the way
for the Allied troops. Between
the U.S. and Britain there was
to be the fullest co-operation
with regard to the exchange of
information from occupied
territories.
PLANS SAFEGUARDS
As to the third, Mr. Eden
said that the main thing was to
safeguard the world against
further aggression.
Mr. Eden finaUy disclosed
that with the approval of Mr.
Churchill he had invited Mr.
Cordell Hull, U.S. Secretary of
State, to visit Britain this
summer.