WAR-TOPICS

Bay of Plenty Beacon, Volume 7, Issue 74, 19 May 1944, Page 8

WAR-TOPICS

faMk Beacon J.

The war effort of Britain and the British Empire, is one, very important contribution to the war effort of the United Nations. It is under this aspect that the British war effort is constantly viewed and operated. On June 30, 1943, speaking * of the Empire, at war, Mr Churchill said: "Three years ago . . . against the triumphant might of. Hitler . . . we stood alone. Then, surely was the moment for the Empire to break up, for each of its widely dispersed communities to :seek safety on the winning side . . . But what happened? In that dark, terrific and also gl6rious hour, we received from all parts of. His Majesty's dominions, from the greatest to the smallest, from the strongest to the weakest, and from the. most modern to the most simple, the assurance that we would all go down or come through together." Thus the achievements of Britain at war are also the achievements of her Dominions'. The following is a selection of some of the outstanding facts and figures talien from records of what Britain has done since the beginning of the second and . greatest world war known to history. Britain was the first nation, in all the world to go to war with Hitler's Germany without first being attacked herself, and, with the exception of Poland, she has been fighting Germany longer than any other nation. In 1940, Britain virtually saved the world from German domination by winning the battle of Britain all but single handed, while during her "testing-time" in 1940/41, her citizens were inspired to conduct which lias Avon the respect and admiration of the world. Britain's total war effort per head of population, is greater than that of any other belligerent while since she has been at war she has transformed her national existence almost more radically than anj- other country. Britain's strategy from 1940 onwards which resulted in total victory in Africa, led finally to the redemption of the first v whole continent from the enemy, whilst these same campaigns, culminating in the Anglo-American triumph in Tunisia were among the most extensive and, for Britain,' the most successful in all history. The British Army was outnumbered by the enemy in every one of its campaigns in the first three, years war vet it frte TSdtish Army pßHVich not only fought tlfce enemy [ ~ on the battlefields of and Asia, but also performed the key task of containing the. enemy an strength in Iceland, the British Isles, Qibralter, Ma}ta ? Cyprus, Palestine, li-ach Persia, Madagascar, and India. British Commando raids gained most valuable experience for the subsequent greati amphibious attacks, while the successful campaigns in Sj r ria, Iraq and Persia consolidated the Very important Middle Eastern area against Axis designs', and secured the supply lines bj r way of the Persian Gulf to Russia. British resistance in Greece in the

spring of 1941, seriously upset the German timetable and gained time - was' very likely literally vital to our Russian allies. 1,600,000 British men joined the Home Guard is less than two months from its formation in. May 1910. In the meantime, the reformed British Army was pacing into battle-drill, the arduous and novel method of British Military training which has produced such conspicuously successful results. "One. t at least "dear.s'ed and purged for erur from Fascist or Nazi tyranny," said the Rt. Hon. Winston Churchill on the 19th May, 1943, following the completion of the conquest of the whole extent of the Italian Empire in Africa by the British Arin3*. (The area of the ground covered is approximately 1,346 000 square miles', while the. population is in the neighbourhood of 12,988,000). Axis casualties in Africa totalled 975,000, more than 248,600 of these loeing Germans. Of the remainder, some 226,000 were natives serving in East Africa and the rest Avere Italians. Against this, the total casualties suffered by the forces of the British Empire "in the African and Middle Eastern theatres of war were less than a quarter of those Buffered by the enemy. In addition 2550 tanks, 6200 guns and 70,000 Jorries were captured or destroyed by our troops in the African campaigns. Axis officers should ceriainlj' not be able to complain about lack of promotion, as s.r-cc the start of the ivar, over 100 German and Italian generals have been caplu eJ by the. British. It is fortunate ; 11at "Jerry" has nut tae .same prowess at "General sxmtchiijg'' us-100 cap lured Gen-

erals would make quite a hole in the British Army. It is appropriate that the. first country to corac under Axis aggression should be the first to be freed from it. So it was with Abyssinia, the first country to sink beneath the heel of oppression. In the East African campaign, British troops in a few months conquered Abyssinia, a powerfully defended country more than half as large again as Germany. Following this initial success, they swiftly overran Italian East Africa, thus greatly facilitating all Britain's later African successes. It should be noted that at the start of the 1940 campaign the British forces in the Sudan sector were outnumbered by almost ten to one. The fastest military pursuit in histoiT was accomplished by the columns under the command of General Cunningham in the East African campaign when in 17 days (Ist to 17th of March. 1941) they drove from Mogadishu to Jijiga, a distance of 744 miles. This average of nearly 44 miles a day is approached only by the onrush of the. Eighth Army in 1942/4.3. General Cunningham's troops advanced in all 1725 miles to Addis Ababa in 53 day,s— a staggering achievement unequalled in military history. In the first North African campaign, 250,000 men —the whole of an. enemj 7 army—were put out of action. Less than 2000 casualties were suffered by our own army under General Wavell. In the third North African campaign, the British Army under Generals Alexander and Montgomery completely routed the Axis forces in the victorious Battle of Egypt (October-November, 1942). When the Eighth Army finally drove the enemy out of Egypt and Libya, over 86,000 casualties were inflicted upon the Germans and Italians Avhile enemy equipment losses also amounted to 500 tanks and 1000 guns, of all types. It is estimated that the German Afrika Korps were driven 1800 miles across North Africa. The British First Army with its paratroops headed the Allied drive into Tunisia in November,. 1942. As a result, of this, the enemy armies in Tunisia were routed and completeljr destroyed, and their commander-in-chief taken prisoner within less than one week from the opening of the final Allied offensive, on the sth Maj r , 1943. At least 248,000 enemy prisoners and 26 Generals were captured in Tunisia between sth May one of the greatest defeats ever inflicted upon the German army.

The amazing part about these victories in Africa is thfit they were achieved 12,000 miles by sea from the main base in the British Isles. (In order to transport the war-like stores of. one ordinary infantry division overseas, 179,101 packing cases are required, and seven 10,000 ton ships). The victorious pursuit by the Eighth Army across North Africa was rendered possible by a triumph of British military administration. 120,000 lorries helped to carry the 2400 tons of all stores which were supplied every day to the constantly advancing British troops. Two thousand new tyres were issued daily for these lorries. Seventy-six per cent of the Eighth Army and 90 per cent of the First Army in Tunisia were troops of the United Kingdom, and more than 70 per cent of atl suffered by the armies of the British Empire in all the campaigns of 1940 and 1941 were suffered by troops of the United Kingdom. The final battle is not yet Avon, but victory is a great (leal closer, and the British Army, together with the armies of her Dominions will fight on till the last trace of Axis aggression is stamped out of every country that has been under the. heel of Nazi or Fascist domination.