WHAT'S HAPPENING IN TUNISIA

Bay of Plenty Beacon, Volume 6, Issue 49, 19 February 1943, Page 4

WHAT'S HAPPENING IN TUNISIA

THE flourish of trumpets which announced the: opening of the brilliant Tunisian campaign some two and a half months ago, has, in the light of subsequent events, the impression of being somewhat premature. The element of surprise so vital to the; success of the campaign was lost when the French forces decided to fight and later after the armistice and amalgamation, gave birth to the strained political situation which even now has yet to be cleared up. The picture of the Tunisian battle, front, as seen by the man in the streets is puzzling and unsatisfactory. On the west we have an army equal to, if not outnumbering the Axis forces opposed to it, magnificently equipped, yet giving way beneath the hammer blows of almost every Nazi counter attack. On the East, on the other hand the hard fighting Eighth Army on top of all its tough desert campaigning continues to take all in its path. Before the Middle East forces the enemy still retreats, while only a few hundred miles to the west the fresher (though inexperienced troops from England and America) are forced to give*ground and act on the defensive. What is the reason? Granted the French forces in North Africa are not a happy family; granted the English forces are new to fighting and have, possibly not yet accommodated themselves to the loose type of warfare which is so necessary in the African campaign, but why with our fleet patrolling the Tunisian coast-line and our equipment being the most modern ever used in warfare should the; western claw of this great pincer movement be allowed to slip so blatantly as shown by the repeated American withdrawals. These things if further light could be thrown them would make interesting reading in a country whose fighting division is making such a glorious name for itself on the over side of the Tunisian border.