| Show azis zis Retreat Before Yankee Troops in Tunisia rUe us s. s Troops Break Northern Line As Frenchmen Take Five Hills E Yon Von Von Arnim Arnim C Concentrates Armor Against if British Tanks in In Effort to Hold i. i Vital Path Between Tunis and Iny By William B. B King ALLIED HEADQUARTERS IN NORTH AFRICA April 26 Germans IP-Germans P Germans were reported in retreat Monday on the American American- manned northern sector of the Tunisian front and there were west west wall wan wais was finally giving way indications indications that mat the ine mountainous mountainous west west wall wan wais was finally giving way Even as a field dispatch said that the Germans had begun withdrawing withdrawing withdrawing with with- drawing from positions before the Second U. U S S. S army cor corps s Monday Monday Monday Mon Mon- day morning headquarters announced announced announced an an- that the French army corps serving at the hinge between the British First and Eighth armies had won five Jive mountains without heavy opposition opposition opposition tion and wiped out a a. German sal salient lent that had poked dangerously into aIl allied ed lines jines A military spokesman said Colonel General Jurgen von Arnim was known def to have committed committed committed com com- most of his armor to fight it out British tanks which penetrated the narrow narrow narrow nar nar- row plain east of between between be be- tween the French and American sectors The possibility of of a British through break-through in the sector which would slash a path between the Tunis area and the axis secondary southern defense line based at Point du Fahs and B Bou u Fi Ficha ha may have influenced Von yon Arnim to order withdrawals on the flanks while he yet had the power for fora a delaying action Reach Highway Junction Even before news of the nal retreat was received advanced elements of the Second U S S. S army corps had reached a line three miles miles miles' east of Sidi and only about 10 miles southwest st of ot Ma- Ma a junction from which highways highways highways high high- ways lead to both Tunis and Bi Bi- BI- BI In a action to the north other Americans captured an important hill bill called the el Mazi nine miles northeast of and 30 miles southwest of this Inan in inan inan an advance slowed both by heavy enemy action and difficult ter ter- rain All forces of General Sir Harold Alexanders Alexander's army group were declared in the to have continued th their ir steady progress progress progress ress on all sectors with powerful air support Sunday Algerian and divisions of the French army corps made a general advance on on its mountain lines to occupy the five important hills the Mansour Man Man- sour sour capture capture of which was was previously previously previously pre pre- reported Sunday Sunday and a and d the el cl H Hanech ech Bou Boil Krin and i Eliminates Strong Point The Germans still hold the northern end of the Grand Dorsal but the withdrawal from the five hills eliminates a strong hedgehog formation Both north and el-Bab el the British First army won strategic hills a peak dominating dominating dom dam boating the Toad mad from el Bab to was finally cleared by British infantry and tanks of the thelast last axis resistance and a a. spokesman mari s-mari said U the e remnants remnants remnants rem rem- nants of the garrison were cap cap- It was the fourth time the pe peak k had changed hands within 10 days village on a a slope aslope of or the mountain was captured in bitter fighting Its garrison although long Isolated fought to the last Attack by Moonlight l South of el Bab British infantry staged a night attack by moonlight and moved almost within within with with- with with- in heavy artillery range of Pont du Fahs by seizure of a hill hilf six miles east cast o of Bou Arada Th The position was consolidated immediately The Germans counterattacked at dawn but were beaten off In the same general area there was hard tank fighting throughout through through- out the day below cl el Continued on Pare Page Two Column Six NAZIS NAilS RETREAT BEFORE YANKS S Continued from P page One On as the German tanks struck again and again A spokesman said all aU allied forward positions remained in intact intact intact in- in tact and the axis suffered heavy losses in men and tanks The Algiers radio said in a broadcast recorded by the Associated Associated Asso Asso- elated Press that 64 German tanks had md been knocked out in the last 72 2 hours The German high command broadcast from Berlin BerUn Bern Ber- Ber Un lin n said The battle of defense on n the Tunisian front continues with unabated violence It said the allies aIlles had failed in an attempt to o break through that masses of allied Hied tanks which entered our ournes lines nes were intercepted and the enemy enemy en- en emy my was vas thrown back after hard fIghting amidst serious losses in tanks anks Desperation was added to the axis tank fight because of the danger danger danger dan dan- ger that allied armor would cut the road from Pont du Fahs to o Tunis and hamper axis movements movements movements move move- ments behind the lines The allied tactical air force continued continued con- con to send swarms of medium and light bombers to pound advanced advanced advanced ad ad- enemy gun gun- positions Infantry infantry in- in fantry antry tanks and transport The missions were difficult because because because be be- cause of the danger of dropping explosives on allied troops but all were reported carried earned out with success allied planes were lost ost on these sorties Two of the pIlots were reported safe Although relatively few axis aIrcraft aircraft air- air craft raft offered opposition seven I German and Italian planes were shot hot down during the day Another axis craft a twin en Italian bomber was destroyed destroyed de- de troyed by Malta-based Malta fighters off Sicily in one of a series of forays against that island Aerial Offensive e Strong In the Tunisian aerial offensive the he air force twice put 72 bombers bomb bomb- ers over the same target in less than han an hour started fires in attacks attacks at- at tacks acks tacks on mo motor t or t transport an and ana df for for- for for- tacks acks tacks on mo motor t or t transport an and ana df for for- for for- positions on hillsides in front for I of the Eighth army Fighter Fighter escorted escorted i blasted lasted the Soliman landing field 20 miles southeast of Tunis Results of the days day's bombing were probably among the most successful of the campaign although although al- al though the number of sorties was not so large as on the previous day an official statement said Referring to activity against axis air transports last week officials officials officials of of- said the section of the northwest Africa tactical command command command com com- mand by Air Vice Marshal Harry Broadhurst the western desert air force had knocked down axis machines in a hour 48 period against a loss of 14 allied fighters during patrols over the northeast tip of Tunisia The Eighth army took 50 prison 50 prison prisoners ers in mopping up Ter Ter- houna five miles northwest of En En- The overrunning of this position had been reported unofficially unofficially un un- un- un officially earlier French forces after driving the Germans from Mansour 10 miles southwest of Pont du Fahs captured new important heights the said An Algiers radio broadcast recorded by the Associated Press said the French had broken through mountains guarding the Tunis plain Yanks Take Hill HillIn HillIn In the north the Second U U. S S. S corps captured an important height after heavy fighting in the Sidi sector forcing the axis forces to withdraw The American American Ameri Amen can troops are continuing to press forward it was announced Sunday an axis garrison which had lad been holding out in valley finally was liquidated the said French forces after days of fighting drove the Germans from the much-contested much Mansour Mansour Mansour Man Man- sour hill position 10 miles southwest south southwest west of Pont du Fahs a French c said as allied armored armored armored ar ar- ar- ar mored forces engaged two German German German Ger Ger- man tank divisions northwest o othe of the town |
