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As soon as El Hamma was broken, an order went out to the tactical units: "Destroy the fleeing enemy." The air fleets stretched out to cover the roads. At first the targets were dissipated, but as Rommel fled beyond Gabes, the attackers began to find vehicles in flocks of 200 and more. In three days 300 were claimed destroyed.
Later, last week, the tactical force went to the aid of General Patton, pounding and straffing the entrenched Axis southeast of El Guettar (see below).
Strategic Force. The attack at El Hamma, perfect in itself, was nevertheless a mere cashing in on the months-long work of the strategic air force. This, by pounding rear areas, airfields, ports, sea lanes from Europe, had indirectly made the Rommel position vulnerable.
Last week the strategic force shifted its main efforts from Tunisian communications to ports nearer the sources of supply. A force of nearly 100 Flying Fortresses—until then the greatest ever assembled—sailed against the Island of Sardinia, Cagliari harbor and airfields near it were pounded; 26 vessels and 71 aircraft were hit. Later a similar flight gave Naples a brutal pounding. Other planes worked on convoys headed for Tunisia. Liberators hit Messina, Sicily and San Giovanni, Italy, both rail-ferry ports. Closer at hand, Tunisian ports and airports were still pounded. For the enemy, there was no surcease from thunder.