GREAT HOPES IN BRITAIN

Southland Times, Issue 24885, 27 October 1942, Page 5

GREAT HOPES IN BRITAIN

OPENING OF NEW I POSSIBILITIES (Special Correspondent, N.Z.P.A.) (Rec. 8.45 p.m.) LONDON, Oct. 25. Great hopes are held for the Bth Army's attack, which is important militarily and politically. It is too early to discuss the scope of the attack while it is known that Field-Marshal Rommel's army is strong, one estimate being two German and two Italian armoured divisions, one German motorized division and one German infantry division partly mobilized. The heavy air bombardment of FieldMarshal Rommel’s positions and supply bases, also the naval attack on Mersa Matruh and the bombing of Genoa, Savrona and Milan, in addition to the recent Malta blitz, all link up with the present fighting. While it is generally hoped that Field-Marshal Rommel can be driven out of North Africa little is said, memories of the recent summer’s debacle being strong. The political consequences of a victory over Field-Marshal Rommel would be of

far-reaching importance for the Allies, chiefly because of some uneasiness about the Russians’ attitude, about which Mr Leslie HoreBelisha, a former Secretary for War, commented on the Russians’ “rising tide of suspicion and resentment” at the failure of the Allies to open a second front in Europe. “This rising tide might be dammed if the British bills of lading could be seen by the Russians,” he added.

Russia’s sharp, sustained campaign for Britain to bring Rudlof Hess to trial caused misgiving in London, for it is believed the trial would only provoke savage reprisals and achieve nothing. ATTEMPT TO DIVIDE ALLIES The Economist points out the danger of the Germans attempting to divide the Allied nations politically. It believes that the Bolshevik bogy which the Nazis have used for a political offensive throughout their career is “still in spate” and adds that the Nazis still hope that the political weakness of the Grand Alliance will neutralize its military strength. "The panzer spearhead of the Nazis’ politics is still the Bolshevik bogy,” states The Economist “The Nazis believe that the conditions of appeasement can be recreated, that the doubts existing between Russia and the Allies—and the clash between the ‘rival imperalisms’ of Britain and the United States will kill the three nations’ will to pool their powers against the aggressors.”

The paper continues that the Nazis have not lost hope of swinging the Allies against Russia, for which reason the Germans’ “defensive” strategy in the coming months will be bi tingly offensive. “Militarily every possible offensive action to divide the Allied forces will be attempted and the Reich is still very strong,” it states. “Politically the offensive to split the Right from the Left, ally from ally, will continue.” RUSSIAN SOLDIER’S VIEW

Alexander Werth, The Sunday Times Moscow correspondent, gives a typical Russian soldier’s view. “.With his failure to achieve victory in Russia Hitler has probably lost his last chance and the Russian soldier asks, ‘Thanks to whom? Thanks to us and almost to nobody else’ ” he said. That the Russians have fought the Germans magnificently and altered the whole course of the war is a fact nobody in Britain will deny, while there is the greatest disappointment that Britain so far has been unable to support Russia militarily, in addition to sending supplies, but, as General Smuts pointed out, Britain has already played a most important role by standing up alone against the Nazis for a whole year. This may be a fact which some Russians overlook. Against this background the Bth Army’s attack is of great importance. Stockholm reports say the Italians fear that the Allies will attempt a Sicily landing and that Germany takes the possibility seriously. This may be guesswork, but it is pointed to as what could happen if the Germans . were cleared from North Africa. A decisive victory against Field-Marshal Rommel followed up by further attacks against the Axis would undoubtedly relieve the Russians’ “suspicion and resentment.” For this reason there rests on the Bth Army a more than military role. Its victory might again change the course of the war. The Australians, who in their part in the general Allied advance in the Alamein area on Saturday reached the first stage towards the planned objective, steadied themselves while waiting for the barrage to lift and then went on to take the final objective at the bayonet point. Fighting alongside British, New Zealand, Scottish, South Africans, Fighting French and Greeks, the Australians were first to achieve their objective, capturing en route a number of prisoners comprising surly Nazis and dejected Italians. All were hungry and thirsty and for the most part shell-shocked by our gunfire. Our casualties were comparatively light.