ALLIED INVASION PLANS

Press, Volume LXXIX, Issue 23976, 17 June 1943, Page 5

ALLIED INVASION PLANS

Axis Speculation PEOPLE TOLD TO STAND FIRM (N.Z. Press Association—Copyright) (Rcc. 10.30 p.m.) LONDON. June 1G A flood of speculation about the Allies’ plans continues to pour from the Axis, whose radios are telling the people of Italy and Germany that invasion is coming closer each hour and warning them to stand firm. Both Berlin and Rome continue to emphasise the massing of Allied shipping in the western and central Mediterranean. Quoting reports from La Linea, the Berlin radio says that a huge convoy of 25 vessels in ballast has arrived at Gibraltar, accompanied by the air-craft-carrier Formidable, the battleship King George V, and American naval units. Their arrival brought the total number of merchantmen at Gibraltar to 56. A German communique claims that the Luftwaffe hit seven medium-sized transports in the waters of Pantelleria. Simultaneous blows against the Axis from the cast and west are forecast by the Leningrad radio, which says; “The Allies are preparing to overcome the German anti-invasion defences and invade the European Continent. There can be no doubt that the Allied blow from the west will coincide with the Red Army’s crushing blow from the east and will join into a single mighty blow striking the death knell for the Fascists.” The Rome radio has announced that anyone failing to report the presence of foreign troops on Italian soil will suffer extreme penalties. General Luis Aalamillo, head of a Mexican mission, who has just returned to Mexico City from North Africa, said that United Nations’ officers in Africa told him that invasion ol the European Continent would take place in a short time, and that everything was prepared. General Aalamillo added that United States Army organ-' isation in North Africa was amazing. The Paris radio, in its morning broadcast, reported Allied preparations for an invasion. The radio said: “Excitement reigns in Britain, and the whole of the south coast has been declared a zone of operations. The lad Clipper brought a number of war correspondents and photographers from the United Slates. British troops are in a permanent state of alert. The whole agitation obviously indicates that the British have reached the peak of their preparations for an eventual landing." A military spokesman in Berlin said: “We are ready. Calm prevails in Berlin due to the military measures which are being taken throughout Europe, We are certain that we shall be able to face any eventuality in the near or distant future," A military commentator, Captain von Schramm, in a statement in Berlin, mentioned for the first time from an authoritative source the withdrawal oi men from the Russian front to strengthen the western front. Captain von Schramm explained that the essential war objectives of the Axis in Europe and cast Asia had been attained. “Our strategy*at present is to await the enemy’s blow,” he added. The Rome radio yesterday kept its “hate” campaign going by alleging that Italians in British war camps are , suffering untold miseries. , Reports from Zurich state that : neutral correspondents in Rome say j that the Allied attacks on Pantelleria ; and Lampedusa caused a deep impres- ] sion in Italy. 1 The "Popolo dTtalia" states: “The ' fatal hour has arrived. One choice i remains—victory or death.” The Moscow radio says it is reported from Berne that the situation in , Sardinia is tense. More than 5000 i workers have already left Sardinia j for the mainland. 1 i NORTH AFRICAN ‘ CAMPAIGN ! 4 r U.S. COMMENTATOR’S \ CRITICISM ‘ (Rcc. 11.30 p.m.) NEW YORK, June IC. c “The North African campaign was f one of missed opportunities, great t gambles, and considerable defeats on i both sides, and, finally, well-earned f triumph,” says the American military i commentator, Hanson Baldwin. Bald- 1 win describes the campaign’s cost in c men and material as high in relation < to the numbers involved. j “The American troops,” he says, t “lacked the driving, dynamic purpose f and rigid training characteristic of both the British and German armies. The I most important needs of the American 1 forces are: (1) the development of hard, f tough officers and non-commissioned ! officers: (2) stern discipline; (3) less j wastefulness. “Many American officers are too old j. and too cautious. A stiffening of the f souls of both the American people and y their troops is needed. Determination j to do or die is lacking. In the Pacific, c where the Americans have a personal { ‘grudge fight’ against the Japanese, their altitude is different. In North c Africa the British Tommy is politically f conscious to a high degree, but Ameri- s cans are imbued with the idea of get- hj ting away with anything. v “Many of them indulge in a curious t self-pity, some even expressing it in t poetry. Over-abundant supplies con- fc tribute to their softness, while medals s and ribbons have been handed out so a prodigally in all theatres of war that e they have lost their meaning. Our troops often wasted thrice the amount needed by any healthy soldier.” P Baldwin praises the valour of the c Fighting French troops. F He considers that the British, j* American, and French forces should' ? operate as separate units. 1 He finds no evidence of a decline in Gorman morale. Their officers are still good, staff work is excellent, and German equipment in the main equals and sometimes betters the British and American. The Fockc Wulf, ho says, is a belter fighter than the Spitfire V, and more versatile than the Spitfire IX, ' c NAVY’S SUPPORT TO p BTH ARMY a 1,000,000 TONS OF SUPPLIES CARRIED LONDON, June 15. Some idea of the assistance given by the Royal Navy in supporting the Bth Army in its drive to Tunisia from El Alamein is given in an official state. 1 ment in Alexandria. (] Since the battle of El Alamein more than 1,000.000 tons of supplies have been conveyed to the Bth Army, the peak month being March, when 182.000 tons of petrol and 32,000 tons of ammu- p nition were delivered. In addition, the a Navy had to stop supplies reaching the ai enemy, and it is claimed that it made p a good job of this too. d Submarines during the battle period S j sank 85 Axis ships, and surface craft j c destroyed 32 others. The total number of ships destroyed by naval and hj air forces was 268, representing 900,000 tc tons. HON. F. JONES IN CANADA 5 si OTTAWA, June 15. £ The New Zealand Minister of De- « fence (the Hon. F. Jones) has arrived tl in Canada from Britain. He told re- ai porters that he had travelled 35,000 H miles by air since he left New Zealand s< in the middle of February. n He added that the main purpose of fc his visit to Canada was to see New ir Zealand airmen in training and con- w suit various Government officials. [J'