Show GERMANS GERMA N S HALT BRITISH IN DRIVE ON TUNIS U. U S. S Infantry Takes Important Area On Northern Front LONDON April 29 INS INS INS- The Algiers radio reported Thursday night the town toun of Pont du I Fahs Falis now Is a no mans man's land indicating its evacuation by axis troops ALLIED HEADQUARTERS IN NORTH AFRICA April 29 UP American infantry gained important important important im im- im- im ground in savage fighting against prepared German positions positions positions in north Tunisia a disclosed Thursday but two fierce axis counterattacks checked the British First army's drive into the final range of f hills guarding the Tunis plain The bitterest fighting centered around Bou az northeast northeast northeast north north- east of el Bab and approximately approximately approximately 21 miles from Tunis as the First army beat off one nazi tank and infantry counterattack on Wednesday afternoon but was I forced to give ground slightly during during during dur dur- ing a second enemy onslaught A dispatch from Edward W. W V. V Beattie Beattle United Press correspondent correspond correspond- ent with the First army said that th had captured more bel Bou Aou- Aou kaz taz bri bringing ng their total since S April 21 to more th than n 1500 I Desperate Counterattacks The dispatch described fighting S i as furious with the Germans counterattacking desperately and using devastating mortar fire against the allied forces The First army forces about 10 miles northeast of el ci Bab made a small gain on the northside north northside northside side of the road to capturIng capturing cap cap- turing Sidi SitU Ahmed height which should not be confused with Sidi Ahmed airdrome near near The British had stormed to within with with- in feet of the crest of Bou the last big barrier to the Tunis plain before the first counterattack by about infantrymen infantrymen and 30 tan tanks ItS stopped them some nine miles southwest of ofTe ofTe- Te The Germans German whose key defenses de de' on the front from I to Pont du Fahs in the south were threatened with collapse suffered heavy casualties in their first counterattack which was re rc pulsed Force British h Back BackAn BackAn BackAn An hour l later ter however however they they made a second attack and this time their infantry and tanks succeeded suc- suc in in forcin the flip har down the slopes 51 Ag Again i ih the i axis suffered severe casualties On the Pont du Fahs see sector tOt where the French had advanced d close to that important junction and threatened the Ge German man flank on the whole southern front al allied allied allied al- al lied troops made only local gains or engaged in active patrolling Only local gains were r reported p from the northern front to too butIn butin but butin in that area the Ameri American Amerian an Second corp corps corps corps' I c continued to punish the en enemy my in hard fighting ar around und al t th road to Mat ur and B About Al out to Continued on Page Pace Two Column Two I I I i EL I oLia Farina C I ameti d Pont I Iz z I I I 41 I I i STATUTE Associated Press Map Allies Threaten Axis Split A seven day allied assault i solid arrows on axis positions solid line Thursday threatened to split axis troops in Tuni Tunisia ia wit with a drive on I Tunis Copen open arro arrows s which might indicate that one enemy force would fight to hold and another would re retreat retreat retreat re- re I treat in the mountainous peninsula east of Tunis Broken I line is front of week ago S German Counterattacks Halt British Drive on Tunis 1 i Continued from Page One German troops are In carefully prepared hill positions on the Ma Ma- sector and the allied forces are making slow progress Fi Fight ht for fOJ Bald Jill Hill The Americans continued to attack at at- tack tacit in bitter combat for Bald hillon hill hillon hillon on the sector 12 miles west of They also advanced on the sector seven miles east by southeast of hf Sidi Sid capturing the northeastern slope of an important hill commanding commanding com corn manding a valley that runs southward southward southward south south- ward to This valley forms a 8 junction with the British First army northeast northeast northeast north north- east of The First army is still punching at the enemy defenses defenses defenses de de- de- de about four miles east of but has made rio no important important important tant advance Allied air forces continued to strike hard at the enemy but weather conditions were able A number of attacks were 1 made on the strongest German lerman I hill positions facing the Americans and the British Eighth army The allied bombers also destroyed destroyed destroyed de de- de- de six enemy ships and set another afire in attacks on on axis supply lines Dispatches from the front emphasized emphasized emphasized em em- emI I the powerful effect of American bombardment both bombardment both by planes and by artillery artillery of of enemy mountain positions It was estimated estimated estimated esti esti- mated that the American big guns including millimeters fired 10 times for every reply from froni the German lines Yanks Concentrate Fire The American technique was to concentrate fire from dozens of these big guns until the enemy pos position tion was softened Then if ne necessary essary bombers are summoned to touch up the German defenses defenses de de- de before the infantry went in behind another artillery bar bar- rage t f w yx Ww f |