Daily Post - 13.04.1943, Blaðsíða 1

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IV — 68 Tuesday, April 13th, 1943 Price 50 aurar.
Kairouan And Sousse Fall
Rommel Fleeíng Towards Tnnls
Axis Rnshes Reinforcements From
Sicily Ry Air — Rig Losses
ELAND’S ONLY ENGUSH
DAILY
■GN SALE 8 A.M. EVERY DAY
EXCEPT MONDAY
London, April 12th. AlHed
day. The British Eighth Army <
the north, the First Army has
though against stijj opposition.
To-day’s communlqué from
Allied HQ in N.-Africa re-
ports the occupation of Sous-
se. The port was entered by
the Eighth Army at 8:30 this
morning. It has taken the De-
sert Army just 48 hours to co-
ver the 80 miles from Sfax.
Kairouan, the holy Moslem
city, is also in Allied hands
since yesterday morning when
it was captured by the troops
which a couple of days ago
burst through the strongly de-
fended and heavily mined
Fondouk Pass. The capture of
many prisoners in reported.
WELL BEYOND SOUSSE
The Eighth Army had a dif-
ficult advance, no.t because of
active enemy resistance, but
owing to heavy minefields and
demolition, and the awkward-
ness of the country. But the
8th Army is in no mood to be
stopped, arid already it is well
beyond Sousse.
KAIROUAN BOOTY
Near Kairouan some German
panzers were not quick enough
to get out as the Allied troops
came in, and 12 miles to the
north-west of the city there
was a sharp clash. When the
enemy managed to disengage
they had lost 10 tanks. Con-
siderable booty, as ýet un-
counted, fell into Allied hands
with the capture of Kairouan,
and included some anti-tank
guns in perfect condition, cap
fured by the Germans from the
[ Troops took Kairouan yester-
entered Sousse this moming. In
; made some further advance,
Russians and moved down to
Africa, as well as other war
material, which the Germans
did not give themselves time
to destroy in their hurry.They
did, however, manage to blow
up some ammunition dumps.
PROGRESS IN NORTH
Further north, French
troops have made progress,
and captured some high
ground in the Ousseltie valley,
taking 500 prisoners. In the
northernmost sector General
Anderson’s men have continu-
ed to gain ground in face of
stiff opposition.
ARNIM JOINING ROMMEL?
According to Paris Radio, —
Gen. vQn Arnim’s forces are
moving-south-east, to link up
with Rommel’s troops, fleeing
northwards. Correspondents
suggest that this may mean
that the Axis intend to make
a stand along the semi-circular
range of hills, which form a
natural barrier around Tunis.
100 TRANSPORTS SHOT
DOWN
Reports speak of enemy rein
forcements steadily arriving.
For some days past the enemy
has been using big fleets of
transports planes, with heavy
fighter escort, and the fact that
many of the transports have
burst into flames on being
shct dcwn, suggests that they
arr 'ng used to carry fuel
tn ’ Axis Tunisian forces.
Allied aircraft have taken a
heavy toll of the transports. —
Yesterday 31 were shot down
— and 40 on Saturday, bring-
ing the total for the last three
days to close on a hundred.
ALLIED AIR BLITZ
One of the key objectives of
Allied Aircraft at the moment
is the Axis landing ground at
Enfidaville, which is a road
.junction of importance. This
place, and the area around it,
is being bombed practically
non-stop, day and night. A
particularly tempting objec-
tive here has been the large
concentration of enemy vehicl
es and transports, and results
have been excellent. A single
formation of Hurricanes left 50
vehicles ablaze, and in another
attack American bombers and
fighters accounted for three
out of every four, besides
shooting down nine Axis air-
craft.
Allied Bðmbers Csrry
The War To Italy
London, Monday. Allied
planes have heavily raided
Italy, Sicily and Sardinia.
Naples, as well as Palermo
in Sicily, had another daylight
visit from Liberators on Sat-
urday night, followed by a
daylight attack yesterday
by American heavy bombers.
Objectives in Sardinia also re-
ceived some attention yester-
day, and the airfields at Tra-
pani and Marsala in Sicily
were attacked. Malta-based
aircraft, out on sea sweeps,
yesterday spotted an Axis con
voy off Tunisia, hit two ships
and sank one. Elsewhere two
Axis ships were hit. From all
yesterday’s operations in Tu-
nisia and over the Mediterran
ean nine Allied aircraft are
missing.
New Nazi Attack
On Doaetz River
London, April 12th. Moscow
reports to-day that the Ger-
mans have resumed their at-
tacks against the Russian
bridgeheads on the Donetz.
The Soviet bridgehad at Ba
laklav, is again the scene of
fierce fighting. Yesterday the
enemy started attacking after
a lull of twenty-four hours, —
but gained no ground what-
ever, and lost many men. In
the Bielgorod sector Soviet
troops have stormed and cap
tured enemy trench positions.
In the Smolensk sector, pa-
trol activity is reported.
Big áir Battle Off
New Gninea
London, April 12th. A new
Japanese air offensive is ex-
pected in the South West Pa-
cific.
Yesterday Allied aircraft
went up to meet a big force of
Japanese dive bombers and
fighters — some 45 in all —
which came over to raid Al-
lied shipping in Oro Bay in
New Guinea. In a furious
battle 23 of the raiding force
— 17 fighters and six dive
bombers — were shot down.
Allied losses were light.
The enemy only managed to
drop some 30 bombs, but a
merchantship was hit and had
to be grounded. Australian
messages point out that it is
evident from the results that
General MacAxthur’s pilots
have learned thoroughly to
fight against odds.
Reconnaisance has shown
that the docks at enemy occu-
pied Madang in New Guinea
are still burning since Friday’s
raid.
Loaidon. Over the week-end
the RAF carried out attacks o’
Japanese positions in tb
Mavju peninsula and in tl
Arakan district, as well as ’
Myitchina.