the field artillery journal - Fort Sill - U.S. Army

1943 PERIMETERS IN PARAGRAPHS 219
on the south coast of Dutch New Guinea, just over the
boundary from Papua. The enemy knows all about this, for
he has been frequently bombing the work under progress at
this new outpost of the United Nations.
New Japanese bases are reported as established, or being
established, on the north shore of New Guinea. These
include Wewak, Madang, and Finschhafen, and
TUNISIA
At the beginning of January, 1943, the line was
approximately
starting at the Mediterranean, southward on a line passing about
15 miles west of Mateur; thence across a plateau to Medjez-el-
Bab (to Allies); southeast to Pont du Fahs (to Axis); south across
high ground to Pichon (to Allies); south to vicinity of Mahnassy
(to Axis).
The British First Army, with some American units
attached, held the sector from Medjez-el-Bab northward.
French troops, equivalent to about 3 divisions, held the
south sector. The north sector was firmly held by both
sides, with more or less continuous lines; the south one, to
which supply for the Allied side was difficult, consisted
mostly of detached mountain strong-points. Consequently
in south Tunisia it was possible for motorized patrols to
pass through the intervals between the regular posts, and
they regularly raided into each other's rear areas for
distances up to 30 miles. This required that all CPs, camps,
depots, etc., in rear areas, be at all times prepared for an
all-around defense.
There have been no major operations in Tunisia since
the combats of December. What appears to have been an
inspired estimate of the situation was issued from Allied
GHQ's CP on January 5th; this stated that
a. The winter season, which in North Africa is very rainy,
makes movements off roads impossible for armored troops. It
also makes it difficult to maintain air fields which do not have
hard-surface runways. Streams, which in summer are nearly dry,
are difficult obstacles in winter. This condition will not change
until about the end of February.
b. The Axis, due to air cover based on Sardinia and Sicily, is
in a favorable position to stop an Allied attack, notwithstanding
the fact that apparently the German Air Force is now but a
shadow of what it used to be in 1940 and 1941.
c. For the foregoing reasons, an Allied offensive is not
probable at this time. Neither is an Axis offensive probable, as the
Axis is believed to have too few troops to undertake any large
operation.
d. Intelligence reports indicate that the Axis is making great
preparations for defending Bizerte and Tunis.
On January 6th British troops made a limited attack
against Djebel Azzag, a hill on the road toward Mateur. This
was captured. Thereupon the Axis artillery shelled the
British troops continuously, and when an Axis attack
occurred next morning the summit of Djebel Azzag was lost.
As this gave the Axis artillery good OP's, increasing the
accuracy of their fire against troops holding further down the
slope, it was considered that the hill was not worth the
casualties that would be incurred to hold it or to recapture
NORTH AFRICA
supplement older bases at Salamaua and Lae. The country
between the north and south shores is exceedingly
mountainous and will be difficult to campaign over. The
Owen Stanley range was a serious obstacle to the Allied
advance northward from Port Moresby, but the mountains
west thereof are wider in depth and higher, with altitudes
up to 16,000 feet.
the summit, and
the troops were
withdrawn to their
original positions.
Active
patrolling has led
to numerous minor
encounters. Both
sides use patrols
mounted in motor
vehicles, and the
Axis also uses
patrols dropped in
gliders in rear of
our lines. Some of these, as might be expected, have been
captured, but there is reason to believe that others were not
detected.
Intensive air activity was common. Allied planes
concentrated in bombing the harbors of Bizerte, Tunis,
Sousse, and Sfax by day and by night. From air photographs
taken of Bizerte during a bombing, none of six ships noted at
quays was hit and no wrecks appeared in the vicinity. There
was damage to objects on shore, but the nature of this could
not be determined. This air bombing was supplemented by a
British campaign by submarines and light naval forces
against ships plying between Italian ports and Axis ports in
North Africa. Quite a number of ships have been sunk, but
others still are operating. In general, the experience of this
war has been that harbors can be damaged, but can not be
completely closed, by air bombing.
Axis air activity has been largely directed to bombing
Allied ports. Particular and frequent attention has been
given to Bone, Philippeville, Bougie, and Algiers, but the
port of Casablanca, nearly 1,000 miles from an Axis air
base, was bombed once. The mission of the bombings has
been to sink transports. According to Axis reports, they
have had some success.
After the middle of January it became clear that the
Axis forces in Tripolitania would not defend that
territory, but were obviously en route to Tunisia and
would, if not prevented, join by the end of the month the
Axis forces already in the vicinity of Gabès. The
withdrawing Axis troops protected their rear by suitable
rear guards, usual demolitions, and planting of mines.
They were pursued by the British Eighth Army. After the
experience of chasing after the Axis all the way from the
Nile, it was judged impossible to overtake them and