The Dominion. WEDNESDAY, OCTOBER 28, 1942. A WIDESPREAD OFFENSIVE

Dominion, Volume 36, Issue 28, 28 October 1942, Page 4

The Dominion. WEDNESDAY, OCTOBER 28, 1942. A WIDESPREAD OFFENSIVE

No doubt with the idea of stiffening the morale of the Italians, the newspapers of their country recently broadcast the slogan: "The Russian campaign is over; the battle for the Mediterranean is imminent.” There might be some comfort in this assurance to the Italian people and armies that the struggle in Russia had ended if that were true, for Italy has had grievous losses on the 'Axis eastern European front. But there are no grounds for the assurance. No Russian army has yet been destroyed. Stalingrad, though severely battered, still resists. The campaign, which, according to reports from German headquarters a year ago, was practically over then, is still in an indecisive state. Whatever the fate of Stalingrad may be, it seems inevitable that the armies of the Germans and their unhappy partners will be forced to endure another Russian winter without any prospect of their task being over by the end of it, or for an indefinite time to coriie.

The second part of the Italian slogan—the prediction concerning the Mediterranean theatre of war—appears to have come at least partly true, though not quite in the way the prophecy would imply. The British Eighth Army, which comprises experienced and battle-hardened Imperial, Empire and Allied troops, has struck first. The offensive thus undertaken appears to be designed to bring all the Allied resources in the Mediterranean area—land, sea and air—into alignment for complete and effective co-operation. The desert operations are, of course, the spearhead of this movement, but the full structure of it extends far afield from the Western Desert. Judging from the reports received in the last two or three days, the attack is being made along the whole Axis supply line, from the arsenals and factories of Northern Italy to the chief shipping base at Genoa. Submarines and aircraft are striking at enemy shipping on Mediterranean waters, and naval raids have been carried out on enemy positions along the African coast. The news of these enterprises is scanty, but "there are unmistakable timing and pattern in them, and the dismay newly reported from Italy is significant of their weight and effect. Thus the preliminary picture of the offensive as a whole suggests that a battle for Mediterranean supremacy may be developing, with the Allies taking the initiative and forcing the pace. It is not beyond possibility that the operations may be extended still further, for there have been numerous references to activity in the most important oases of the Sahara; also.to enemy concern (reflected by the. anxious attitude of Vichy France) over the presence and movements of Allied troops at other strategic points on the African continent. In the meantime, however, the desert struggle is the vital factor. Whatever the wider plans may be. they depend for their success upon the capacity of the Eighth Army, with its massive, an arm, to dislodge the Italo-German forces from the strong positions thev have created- The next few weeks will doubtless be a pei iod of hard test. Past experience has warned us not to build too optimistically upon initial successes; but there is encouragement foi quiet confidence in the official assurances that the Allied troops—prominent among whom are our own countrymen have never been in better shape or higher spirit, and are liberally provided with aiicraft and mobile armour.