Word: bab
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...First Army shifted its stance last week, getting ready to strike a blow toward Tunis and Bizerte at the proper moment. For some time Axis artillery had dominated the road from the sleepy, red-roofed little town of Béja to the important road junction of Medjez-el-Bab. Before the First Army could strike either east or north, that road had to be cleared...
...hamper Allied concentration, demolish Allied equipment - anything to delay the showdown. After hot hand-to-hand fighting he pushed the British out of the one village (Sedjenane), lost 3,000 men, 30 tanks. The British said that their losses were light. They still held Beja and Medjez-el-Bab - and Arnim was frustrated until he could take those two key points. If he could capture Beja with its pretty, tile-roofed houses and its oft-bombed rub ble, the whole Allied line would have to fall back; the final Allied offensive might be set back many weeks...
Both points were taken yesterday after they had been in Axis possession less than 24 hours and a threat that the southwest sector of the British line at Bou Arada would be isolated was removed at least for the moment. Bon Arada is 20 miles south of Medjez-El-Bab. Fort McGregor and Tally-Ho Corner, a road junction, lies in between...
German resistance grew. Axis reinforcements continued to land in Tunis and Bizerte. Enemy tanks operated along the coast as far south as Sfax. But by Nov. 24 the gamble still looked good, as a British column neared Mateur, as British and French troops took Medjez-el-Bab. Sandwiched in between them British and U.S. armor rolled ahead. By the night of Nov. 26 the Allies had occupied Tébourba...
Said the military spokesman: "It is not possible to say where anybody's line runs, as there are not any lines, but our zone is more or less north & south through Medjez-el-Bab." Last week the rains still lashed at Tunisia. Fresh troops relieved the living and replaced the dead. The Allies clung. Until they got heavy equipment, until fighter cover could be provided for them, they could not push ahead. Axis troops were not powerful enough to dislodge them. The situation on the ground was at a stalemate...