THE STARS AND STRIPES
Daily Newspaper of U.S. Armed Forces in the European Theater of Operations
New York, N.Y.—London, England Thursday, April 8, 1943
Eighth Army Smashes Axis Defenses
Barrage of 500 Guns
Blasts Hole in Line,
Troops Go Through
Americans Advance Against Stiff Resistance
On El Guettar and Maknassy Fronts;
Churchill Tells of Big Victory
Churchill Tells of Big Victory
By the Associated Press
Scoring a major new victory, the British Eighth Army has routed
Rommel's forces from the heavily defended Wadi Akarit fortifications
j north of Gabes in southern Tunisia, and the Axis forces are in full retreat
| northward, with Lt. Gen. Bernard Montgomery's men in hot pursuit, Prime
Minister Churchill announced yesterday.
A frontal assault by British and Indian infantry divisions put the
Germans and Italians to flight, Mr. Churchill told a cheering Commons,
following a massive 500-gun artillery barrage comparable with the El
Alamein attack which started the Axis retreat across North Africa.
Montgomery's carefully prepared attack started at 4.30 AM Tuesday,
and by noon all of Rommel's fortified key positions were in British hands
after the surprised enemy had made futile but ineffective counter-attacks.
So far, Mr. Churchill said, more than 6,000 Axis prisoners have been
taken.
" This frontal assault should enable the Desert Army to join hands with
United States forces, which have been pressing the enemy unceasingly
from the west," he said.
Lt. Gen. George C. Patton's battle-hardened American infantry and
armor were striking vigorously at the Axis from the El Guettar and
Maknassy sectors. Seven miles north of Maknassy American forces captured
Djebel Maizila, on the Sidi-Bouzid road, and at El Guettar American tanks
and infantry were battling for the Kebili road junction under artillery fire.
Germans Hit
Donetz Line
Reds Hold
Kuban Fighting Fierce,
Russians Take Town
After Swamp Fight
MOSCOW, Apr. 7 (UP)— The Germans increased the intensity of
heir attacks on the middle and upper Donetz today, apparently in an effort
to relieve Russian pressure in the Kuban.
The Donetz battle has spread from the area south of Izyum, where the
Germans have been throwing in wave after wave of troops for several days,
to the neighbourhood of Chuguyev, which has been quiet for some time.
The Germans are using increasingly large Panzer forces again, after experimenting
with smaller attacks by mixed panzer and infantry units, and are throwing
large Luftwaffe formations into the battle.
Reds Counter-Attack
The Russians have carried out several successful counter-attacks which have
protected their own defense lines and cost the Germans heavily in casualties and
equipment.
The heaviest air support for the German ground troops has been in the Izyum area,
where a large number of air attacks has been made by the Luftwaffe, according to
Russian dispatches. The Soviet air force as been heavily engaged in fighting off
the German attacks and in hammering at German positions.
German troop concentrations, prepared in the battle, have been broken up, the
Russians claimed.
In one part of the battle zone Soviet planes discovered two battalions of German
infantry massed for an attack and bombed them. During the confusion resulting
from the attack Russian infantry formed the position and took it.
Kuban Fighting Fierce
PlanesHammer
Big JapSeaport
High U.S. Chiefs Return
To Australia After
Washington Talks
ALLIED HQ, Southwest Pacific, Apr.
7 (UP)—Salamaua, the biggest Japanese base on the northern coast of . New
Guinea, was heavily bombed yesterday by Allied aircraft, according to the official
communique released today.
Warehouses and many supply buildings were demolished in the attack.
At the same time it was announced that Brig. Gen. R. K. Sutherland, chief
of staff to Gen. MacArthur, and Maj. Gen. G. C. Kenney, commander of the
Allied Air Forces in the Southwest Pacific, have returned-to Australia from Washington,
where they have appealed for more materials for their area.
Heavy Bombers Hit Gasmata
Heavy bombers raided the Jap airdrome at Gasmata, New Britain, and bombed
and strafed an enemy coastal town near Montagu harbor. In the Tanimbar
islands a heavy bomber raided the village, the communique said.
Bolivia Declares War
On Germany and Italy
LA PAZ, Bolivia, Apr. 7— Bolivia
entered the war at noon today on the side of the United Nations.
Last night the Council of National defense recommended to President
Penaranda that a state of war declared and the Senate took similar
ation immediately. Bolivia's chief conibution to the Allied cause probably
to be in the form of vitally needed tin, which the country has enormous
sources
Burma Fighting Breaks Out
CALCUTTA, Apr. 7 (AP)— The India cmmand today broke a 12-day silence
land activities on the Arakan front to disclose that (he Japs had infiltrated west
across the Mayu river and- that British and Indian troops had been withdrawn
from Donbaik to positions in the (ill,) Apandu area, three miles northwest
India on the Mayu peninsula.
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