DESERT FORT GUNS

Opotiki News, Volume II, Issue 163, 27 March 1939, Page 4

DESERT FORT GUNS

: DEFENCE. OF • TUNIS , ‘' -x —:* J “LITTLE GIB R A LTARS” - ; *T* j"^r ANOTHER MAGINOT LINE

MAIiEITH (Tunis), Jan. I.—Alongside stony gu)iy in southern Tunica, on tlie route 'l’rom Italian Libya to France’s North ' African: ’empire, 1 watched Frendh troops pressing on with the yew 'fortifications for the Mare tli Line—the Magi not Line of the desert, writes' Geoffrey Cox in the Lopdon dlaily. Express..;'* 4 . i % , iiai-bed-wire "entanglemcntsv^five; ’ • 44-:'V • .. ■ '*. • yards deep, hacked Hy a tiiple.Jme of; upright steel rails to hold back tanks, ran from both sidles, of the road below. | -- Behind them'; was a atlight, almost indistinguishable curve in the spugh tground. It was'the sand-covered cupola of; pne of the underground fedoubts'whi'cli, in a 40-mile curve from the Mediterranean coast to the grey mountains on the western skyline, ferjm .thejebaekbane of* the) line. JSut Jiißo the rock of. the desert bed reinforced concrete, they on the same' lines as IS underground fortresses of the orMa^i|ioi> v .i.iiie along the Rhine. They havEguns that can be lowered out of underground sleeping

and eating quarters, t'efiJplidii-e.s,'. radios, and— vitally important. -in- this desert- area —underground 'AA-ater /supplies.; ‘ Anti-Tank Pits. In front and behind are barbed-wire, defences," anti-tank pits, and nrachiner.' gun and taiiks-gitn. nests and observation posts. i ‘ . r ' . ' The’ line cuts' the iifaiii ■ roiad from Libya to the eityfofjTunis'"just below the Maretli . (Vab'% t wliieh water supplies to .it " at© -drawn-, : jit is 95* miles from believed to pfdticlle an impassable b'^j^ ! lief for any army \ who might attack : from Libya. .

An Italian’ force marching towards central Tunis would Vlie forced to. the route' of this' 'AO-niile plain urherQj the line is built.' 1 " ' : S» . the east is the . sea, to the .-Avest' 'tfie Maimatu ’.'Mountains, tiwlnehMirm Roadless, .waterless and inipas&nblJk*F/-. A landing on the coast -the line'is ruled out, because tfdop-Ships are unable to Approach inshore owing to the shallowness. The possible landing places, such as Gabes, Soussej'Sfax and North Tunis, have been turned into minor “Gnirnltars*” which are fully manned. v ; ■ ' ’ Oasis Ijpfb lu. barracks unEkji*, trees of the Maretli native troops'Avno‘'ii’iake tip : the garrison of 20, CKjGG These woiild: lie ajVLple to’ hold, an enemy until* were rushed from and Morocco. J

1‘ .Even getting' to. the > Maretli line '"would lroin the south' , enormou:s.ic&fuqlties|/i : or as 1 droves '/daykffrojn the jds- the vjLi bjm li • liorder I found' every/oasi.s/on this .desiVert road turned into-a fortresk: They Jar.e' already-,on fdotmg. /.'■l went, on towards' the Italian Trontief, with a young officer and found a sun-burned) Ttalian Carabinieri officer and two Italian native cavalrymen guarding'it-. The Italians gave the Fascist salute and chatted in friendly ' -.uWyiy" with the' French officer^ ! ‘ Behind ■ stretched a wide military* road built across} Libya to'the Egyptian border. Along this, and garrisoned

in Libya, Mussolini has 75,000 European/troops and a division of natives. 'But- against these French defences the Italian leader would) be likely do, as one military expert .put it-to ■hie, would be to “break his teeth.