Show wit i s Story r nisia onisia Reverse ad Yanks Yanks Mad Threw Away Lives in Gamble to Stem Onward Avalanche of Jerrys Jerry's Armored Force f HAROLD ROLD V V. BOYLE OYLE fTH iH H U. U S. S FORCES IN TU- TU Feb 17 JP WP Delayed Delayed- ii threw his lils Sunday punch at pith lith men guns and tanks and part is the story o of the retreat in Tunisia Th hi bloody battlefields littered tf broken vehicles and marked Uie cross ot Germany as well the star tar of America t testify atthe the nazis had no margin in jr ge JQ o Out into tinto th the long valIe valley and into t J lulls J they marched and rolled h thousands thousands of American t ds rs fighting mad because the thet they iIa t march backward toward Tork York Tork instead of ot forward ica d Tunis nis and L lT io the Germans it was a are are- re- re teat To the Americans it was ri withdrawal But what- what e its it's called it had just on the American sol sol- iemand land aid that was to get back it the Germans with all they have havel haveri I sTas l ri soon as the commanders th the word i ne w who o watched for three iii nays Bays as American tank- tank T threw away their lives in a ato able bl to stem the onward ava- ava lanche of the German armored force I for one couldn't question the decision to 10 withdraw That's ats at's why German patrols roam the plains of the valley tonight and the sleepless French and American guards watch from the hills overlooking the yellow acres dotted with blossoming blossoming blos bIos almond trees green olive groves and spiky cactus As one who has slept and eaten in the field for almost two months of steadily more successful operations operations operations opera opera- with every branch of the American army I had my first opportunity to see how they reacted reacted reacted re re- re- re acted when the going really got tough Well W heres here's the way one Infantryman infantryman in In- man summed it up after plodding 15 miles cross country at night hight That means it will take us another week more now to win vin the war But every week I. I have spent away from the United States because of those kraut hounds makes me just that much so sorer er erat at them Typical wa was the reaction of an antiaircraft gunner Private Mi- Mi Continued on Part Pan Two Column Ont On Tunisia Reverse Made Yanks Fighting Mad 5 Continued from Peg Pare One e chad chael 5 ael Biggins HIggins Jr 25 25 Parkchester er 1 New ew York City the son of a deputy deputy deputy dep dep- uty chief of the New York fire department We pulled out of night before last and out of ot last lastS S night said Higgins who served as a volunteer in the Canadian I army but switched to the American Ameri Amen can forces after Pearl Harbor They were cold trips in open I trucks The whole valley was red with explosions as we destroyed everything everything everything every every- thing of value that we couldn't take The Germans wont won't find I enough food left to feed a canary S or enough fuel to keep a lighter going Wo We Want to Fight We dont don't like to move back We want to fight We c cant can't nt wina win wm winS S a a. war war by moving back and we want to get back at them as soon i as we are given the word I Evacuated along with Higgins I Iwas was Sergeant a old month I pup which he bought from a I French family for one dollar It has b been en through 38 33 raids He comes into the machine gun pit with me during air raids and doesn't like moving back any more than I do Higgins explained Another Another Another An An- other evacuee was Sergeants Sergeant's sister sis its t ten ter r. r Hester owned by Private Tom Toni Reed 19 a truck driver of Springfield Ky Captain Edward E. E Cotter 31 Corning Iowa led an infantry gro group p which made a mile 15 trek to safety Resting on a rock he observed served cheerfully We came through with all aU our men and with no trouble but sore feet Corporal Merle Jerle Bierman 25 Des DesMoines DesMoines Moines Iowa grinned even more cheerfully he he made the trip out in a ton quarter-ton peep which is much better than walking S The withdrawal was vas orderly and without any signs of panic S It began two nights ago and continued as American tank artillery artillery ar ar- tillery and infantry forces held the Germans from a major break break- through These outfits then withdrew withdrew withdrew with with- drew themselves still engaging the enemy S The removal at went wenton on as scheduled despite the fact that German artillery shelled the town during the night and their tanks made mad a futile two-hour two push beginning at 2 a. a m m. m to seize the town under cover of darkness By dawn they still had a fight on their hands before entering Delaying Engagement All allied planes at air airfield airfield airfield field long a sore spot to the German German Ger Ocr man ground forces as well as to nazi fliers were safely flown away and the French and American forces stationed at near-by near Feri Feri- ana marched into tie the adjoining hills without hurry leaving a company of light tanks to guard the rear French pack trains wound slowly slowly slow slow- ly y across ss the plains the mules and men loaded with equipment As one French private bent almost do double ble under his hin pack passed a group of American officers he straightened up saluted smartly and gave them a greeting with the only words of English he knew Okeh hallo Last to come out was a company company com corn pany of light tanks with their guns still warm from a successful delaying engagement with a German German German Ger Ger- man armored column Relays of American planes operating operating op op- op- op crating in the gray skies where no nazi aircraft was seen helped a little tank lank group hold the Germans Germans Germans Germans' Ger Ger- mans mans' mansat at bay until the last American Ameri Amen can s soldier had left As the plucky little tanks rolled up the mountain through falling snow several French soldiers saved by their stand cheered and shouted at them Smiling waved d back The fingers of every soldier were parted in the V signal for vic vie tory |