“Operations On A Large Scale”

Press, Volume LXXIX, Issue 23969, 9 June 1943, Page 3

“Operations On A Large Scale”

PREDICTION BY MR CHURCHILL I (N.Z. Press Association—Copyright) 11 p.in.) LONDON, .Tune 8. '*! shall make no predictions about the future except to gay that it is evident that amphibious operations of peculiar complexity and hazard, and on a large scale, are approaching,” said Mr Churchill, speaking in the House of Commons this morning. Complete agreement had been reached in the Washington talks, he said, about future steps. “I shall not speculate as to what we might be able to do in the future, still less in the near future, but I can say that Allied policy, strategy, and economy were brought into full focus during the discussions.” The operations now impending in the European theatre, Mr Churchill added, had been fitted into their proper place in the scheme of the war. Mr Churchill also revealed that the number of Axis prisoners taken in the Tunisian campaign was 248,000 —an increase of 24,000 on the figure previously announced. The losses sustained by the Ist and Bth Armies during the campaign had been severe, the total in killed, wounded, and missing being 35,000. Mr Churchill commented that in his visit to the forces in North Africa he had gained an impression of extraordinary energy and zeal to engage the enemy again.

Speaking of his visit to Washington. Mr Churchill said that as the Allied war effort passed into the offensive phase, the scale and pace of operations had grown more vigorous and consultations had become necessary. At Washington the whole expanse of the world war, on which the mellow light of victory had begun to play, had been laid open. We had shown that we could work together, and we had shown that we could face disaster. We had still to show that we could be worthy of good fortune. Perhaps that might be the hardest task of all. Giving details of Axis and British losses in the Tunisian campaign, Mr Churchill said that the casualties in the Bth Army since it crossed the border into Tunisia were about 11.5U0, and those of the Ist Army were about 23,500. The Axis had lost 248.000 in prisoners, and it was certain that more than 50,000 of the

enemy had been killed. More than half the prisoners were Germans, and of the Axis forces in Tunisia only 638 had escaped. .The steady wearing down of the German and Italian air forces had been proceeding relentlessly, and the enemy was now finding in the air war, which he had thought would bring him victory, the first cause of his ruin. On the Russian front, Mr Churchill added, there were 190 German and 20 satellite divisions, and it was here that the greatest battles seemed to be impending. Speaking of the war against Üboats, Mr Churchill said that from every point of view May had been the best month since the United States was attacked. Building had exceeded losses by more than three to one. The first week of June, though it was not to be taken as a criterion, had been the best ever.