New Front Possible In Persia-Iraq

Taranaki Daily News, 26 August 1942, Page 3

New Front Possible In Persia-Iraq

Danger from Nazi thrust in Caucasus. Rec. 9.25 p.m. London. Aug. 24. The creation of an independent Persian-Iraq command with General Sir Henry Maitland Wilson as com-mander-in-chief has obviously been decided on as a result of the German threat to the Caucasus,. says the Cairo correspondent of the Times. The chances of a German advance across Turkey seemed at the end of last year to be greater than a threat through the Caucasus so the role of the 9th Army trancended that of the 10th Army in importance. Now it is the other way round. The 10th Army has the bigger responsibility considering the long front of 500 miles it has to cover. It is provided, however, with base depots on the Persian Gulf and ordnance supply services on a

scale to fit a much larger army and it will now presumably be suitably reinforced to meet the German thrust as it comes nearer. Both the 10th and the 9th Armies have been engaged since their creation in organising defence and supply. As long as this was the case they did not provide much preoccupation for a commander-in-chief, but it is otherwise now that there is a prospect of opening a second major front in the north in addition to the 8th Army's operations. In this case the Middle East command, already somewhat unwieldy, would become too heavy a burden for one man. It is pointed out at London that the British 9th Army in Palestine and Syria. which hitherto was commanded by General Sir Henry Maitland Wilson, does not come within the newly-created Per-sia-Iraq command, to which he has just been appointed. The appointment of a new commander of the 9th Army, which remains in the Middle East command under General Alexander, is expected shortly.