Tactical Air Attacks in Early January 1943

It was apparent that von Arnim had scheduled one or more moves for the near future, and Allied fighters and light and medium bombers ranged the length of the front, searching for targets whenever weather permitted. Enemy convoys in the north were small or well concealed; hence not much damage was done to these, though keeping a sharp lookout resulted in some bombing and strafing. Efforts in the south were better rewarded. Tank parks and camps were attacked near Gabes, where the enemy was building up his forces.

The Twelfth Air Force mediums and heavies attacked the marshalling yard at Kairouan with some success on 4 and 6 January. Two railway bridges were destroyed near Graiba, the marshalling yard at Gafsa was attacked, and other bridges were bombed north of Gabes and at La Hencha. While annoying, such operations probably did not seriously hamper enemy preparations.

Von Arnim's January push in central Tunisia, treated in greater detail later, necessitated an intensification of bomber effort against ports of entry at Tunis and Bizerte. The new Wellingtons of Eastern Air Command made this possible. Their principal target was Bizerte, which they bombed on 16 nights in about 150 sorties; weather allowing, they doubtless would have attacked oftener. They dropped bombs ranging in size from 250 to 4,000 pounders in addition to liberal unloadings of incendiaries. On several nights the fires they set were visible for 40 miles. B-17's also flew 100 effective sorties over Bizerte and Ferryville and pounded the ships in the harbors. These missions were notable for the numbers of enemy fighters brought down by the B-17's and their escorting P-38's. At times as many as 50 fighters rose to oppose the January assaults and, though they lost heavily, they took a toll in bombers which we could ill afford.

The Fortresses made three more attacks on Tunis and the B-26's made one. Several attempted raids on this port were abortive because of weather. Attention was also given to the industrial section of Tunis and to the marshalling yards, power plant, and near by camps. On 2 January the B-17's and escort claimed 17 enemy fighters destroyed, with 10 probables.

Sousse and Sfax each sustained three attacks. The latter was visited by a total of 64 B-17's, 18 B-25's, and 15 B-26's, all escorted. The heaviest concentration was on the 28th, when six enemy fighters were shot down for a loss of one B-26 and one P-38.

The favors extended by the Ninth and Western Desert Air Forces were returned when Northwest African heavies and mediums bombed Castel Benito airfield, south of Tripoli, on 9, 12, and 18 January. Twenty-five escorted B-17's and five B-26's took part in these missions, in which numerous fires were set among buildings and at least 20 parked aircraft were destroyed. Twenty enemy fighters were claimed shot down; one Fortress and one Lightning were lost.

Even before the fall of Tripoli on 23 January, Liberators of the Ninth Air Force supported by RAF elements began to soften up Tunisia both in preparation for invasion and to harass German supply lines to Tripoli which now ran through Tunisian ports. Tuis, Bizerte, Sousse, Sfax, and Gabes all suffered heavily during January. To the efforts of the Ninth were added those of the Twelfth, and the British Navy and RAF united in attacking ships at sea. It was calculated that because of Northwest African and Middle East bombings the month of January saw a great reduction in enemy supplies landed; RAF Middle East Review (No. 2, p.13) estimates deliveries as follows:

Port	Normal daily discharge (tons)	January average daily discharge (tons)
Tunis	2,400	700
Bizerte	1,800	1,000
Sousse	1,500	300
Sfax	1,500	200
Gables	300	---

In addition to these activities, Ninth Air Force heavy bombers struck at Naples and Palermo.