Show loafs azis Got of 20 0 Ships at T Toulon oulon Knox Says 51 Vessels Listed Sunk Damaged Missing Axis Repelled in T Tunisia Armored Forces Hurl Germans Back at Tebo urba ALLIED HEADQUARTERS IN NORTH AFRICA Dec 8 UP IP IPA A A strong counterattack by allied armored forces has compelled compelled com com- p the axis to abandon gains in the area some 20 miles west of Tunis after two days of battle the al allied allied al- al I aI-I lied command announced Tues Tues- day Its said the enemy attacked Sunday and penetrated the lines the British First army and its Am American supporting troops have been holding west of Tunis despite heavy axis pressure from the air and on the ground Monday the allied tanks counter count r- r attacked Monday night the enemy withdrew Observers in London said this battle probably was the heaviest two days' days fighting thus far in ii the Tunisian campaign LONDON Dec 8 Allied 2 lP Allied forces were reported to be holding holding hold hold- ing solidly Tuesday on the he heights f hl n ting while t battles battle's s k battle batu orthe or the third successive dray day in a n no no mar mans man's s land south of the Tunisian town key to the approaches to Bi- Bi and Tunis Both sides were striking heavily heavily heavily ily by air trying for the decisive battle punch and to choke off supplies and reinforcements which might tip the balance The allies however gained a major advantage in the battle of supplies This was the acquisition of Da Da- Dacar Dakar lear car as a united nations port by byan byan byan an agreement between Pierre Boisson governor general of French West Africa who has placed himself under Admiral Jean Darlan and Lieutenant General General General Gen Gen- eral Dwight D D. Eisenhower com- com mander-in-chief mander in north Africa While Britain's Eighth army still paused before El EI in Libya allied planes struck again by night Sunday against and followed up Monday with bomb and cannon raids on La Goulette Goulette Goulette Gou- Gou lette nine miles to the east and the held enemy-held port of in central Tunisia Axis air attacks were aimed at atthe atthe atthe the allies' allies Algerian port of Philippeville Philippeville Philippeville Phil- Phil where the Italian com com- said bombers scored di direct direct direct di- di hits on ships docks and supply supply supply sup sup- ply warehouses and start started d big fires Of the fighting aground in Tunisia Tunisia Tunisia Tuni Tuni- sia the Italian said only that land action ended in favor of axis troops The German com m u n i que equally bare of details reported Continued on Pale Page Three Column Three ALLIES HOLD ON IN TUNISIA Continued from Page Face One however that fighting with enemy enemy enemy en en- emy groups is continuing at several several several sev sev- eral places Besides the Philippeville raid it added axis planes destroyed a number of allied planes on an airfield and shot down eight in ina ina a a. combat at a cost of only one Allies Awes Still Holding The Germans were using both tanks and dive bombers in their effort to dislodge the allied troops but the Morocco radio said the allies were taking the punishment punishment punishment punish punish- ment and still holding tight The Algiers radio reported Tuesday that Lieutenant General General General Gen Gen- eral K A A. A N. N Andersons Anderson's army is strongly entrenched on a h horseshoe horseshoe horse horse- shoe position the two prongs of which point toward Tunis Tuns and Bi- Bi which are being pounded by heavy bombers Fighters ceaselessly ceaselessly ceaselessly cease cease- lessly attack the axis positions The arrival of powerful air support is awaited In the meantime meantime mean mean- time troops of the First army are assembling to play their part in the final assault when the time comes While the heaviest fighting was taking place in the area control of a triangle with and as Its points was the objective of the struggle The area is regarded regard regard- ed as vital for the allied attack on Tunis and is 35 miles south of and 20 miles west of Tunis The allied drive toward and Tunis was stalled when the lack of an aerial cover corer put allied troops at the mercy of German dive bombers Plane Strength Growing The German-controlled German P Par Paris a r i s radio said Tuesday that the allied forces were retreating westward and General Walther axis troops were fortifying positions positions positions south and east of but these claims were disputed by the Morocco radio Allied aerial strength cut down by the lack of good air bases in inthe inthe inthe the forward areas was reported growing gradually but allied tanks and infantrymen apparently apparent apparent- ly were bearing the brunt of the fighting against axis tanks and some of Germanys Germany's best planes Across the African wastes from the Tunisian battle ground in Libya a Reuters correspondent reported reported re reported re- re ported that the German and Italian Italian Italian Ital Ital- ian troops drawn up at El for an expected British attack were betraying nervousness at the sporadic bursts of gunfire from the British lines The British Eighth army has been gathering strength for an assault on the German positions in the El la bottleneck ecK The Morocco o radio radioS quoted informed In Informed informed in- in formed military quarters as estimating estimating estimating esti esti- mating Field Marshal Erwin Rommel's Rommel's Rom Rom- mels mel's axis forces there at some troops |