CAIRO -- British Imperial troops smashing an Axis delaying action in a three-day battle, streamed through Agedabia tonight toward El Aghelis, 70 miles to the southwest, while American and British planes teamed in a day-and-night assault on the enemy reinforcement route to North Africa.

Allied long-range fighters repeatedly attacked transport planes ferrying Axis troops from Sicily to Tripolitania and Tunisia and at least six of them were shot down in to the Mediterranean, a British Communique announced.

Other planes blasted and strafed Sicilian airdromes, Tripoli, (now the main Axis supply base in North Africa), and the Bizerte airdrome, reinforcement base for German resistance in Tunisia.