Current Events February 16, 1943; U. S. TROOPS PUSHED BACK IN NORTH AFRICA / FRENCH WARSHIPS JOIN ALLIES / RABAUL HIT BY FLYING FORTRESSES AND LIBORATORS:

                      The Stars and Stripes

Daily Newspaper of U.S. Armed Forces in the (European Theater of Operations

VoL 3 No. 90              London, England Tuesday,                         Feb. 16, 1943

Nazis Shove

U.S. Troops

Back at Faid

Tank Forces Overwhelm

, Artillery, Threaten

Troops at Gafsa

ALLIED HQ, North Africa, Feb. 15 (AP)—Rommel hurled armour

against the American positions west of Paid Pass, breaking through about

20 miles and endangering Gafsa, held by ,U.S. forces.

Overwhelming American artillery positions guarding the westward exit

of the pass, German tanks, possibly 50;in number, branched out northwest

and southwest after the initial

American anchor positions at Gafsa were obviously in danger of being cut

off by the German spearhead of the Panzer division, and it was assumed

Gafsa might soon be evacuated.

Stukas Strike Hard

French Warships Join Allies;

Richelieu and Other Vessels

Arrive in U.S. to Be Repaired

All Units Not in Nazi

Hands Will Aid

Fight on Axis

Special to The Stars and Stripes

NEW YORK, Feb. 15—A number of, ships of the French fleet have

arrived in United States ports to be repaired and then join the Allied

naval force in its fight against the Axis, it was revealed today.

One of the warships was the 35,000-ton Richelieu, damaged by the

British Navy at Dakar in 1940 in an effort to keep it out of Axis hands.

Appearing in fighting trim, though needing repairs from the 1940 engagement,

it sailed into New York Harbor last Thursday, but security prevented news of

its arrival from being released earlier.

Enemy Frantic

In Effort to Halt

Russian Drives

Try to Fix Defense Line

After Fall of Rostov,

Voroshilovgrad

MOSCOW, Feb. 15 (AP)—Driven from deep Donbas positions west of Rostov

and Voroshilovgrad, the Germans tried desperately today to form a line to hold

off the powerful Red Army push. Following up the most sensational

single day's offensive in the history of this war, the Russians pounded the

perplexed Germans from the north of Kursk to the last remaining German

positions on the Black Sea coast.

Libs and RAF

Strike Dunkirk

Forces Team Up First

Time to Raid Port

Two Hours Apart

American and RAF bombers smashed at Dunkirk, just across the English

Channel, in daylight yesterday. Just two hours after Boston bombers

of the RAF had pummelled the historic Nazi-held port on the French coast, nearly

opposite Dover, Liberators of the Eighth Air Force attacked " with good results,"

Headquarters, ETOUSA, reported in a communique issued jointly with the

British Air Ministry.

RAF, Dominions and Allied fighters covered the bombers and destroyed ten

enemy fighters without loss. Two Liberators are reported missing.

First Dual Raid

Forts, Libs Jolt

Rabaul., Biggest

Bombing So Far

50 Tons of Explosives,

Incendiaries Dumped

On Jap Base

ALLIED HQ, Australia, Feb. 15 (AP)

—In the greatest mass bomber raid carried out by the Allies in this theater

of war more than 30 heavy bombers Sunday rained upwards of 50 tons of

explosives and 3,500 incendiary bombs on the Japanese naval and air base at

Rabaul.

Four waves of Flying Fortresses and Liberators attacked the city and harbor

for more than two hours, starting huge and numerous fires, and apparently hitting

and damaging two ships.

One American pilot reported: " The Japanese have been rebuilding Rabaul

since our bombers first burnt the sky down months ago, and at present Rabaul

is heavily fortified.

" Rabaul is a regular Malta in respect,

of searchlight concentrations and ack-ack

positions. During the night of Feb. 14-15 '

our troops conducted offensive operations

in the same directions as before." ;

Burma Bases Hard Hit