ARMY OF THE NILE

Wairarapa Times-Age, 22 October 1941, Page 5

ARMY OF THE NILE

MAY STRIKE FIRST IN LIBYA NEW ZEALANDERS’ PART. IN GREAT EVENTS IMPENDING. (Official War Correspondent, N.Z.E.F.) CAIRO, October 20. My own personal hnpres-i sion of the situation here is based on general facts which are common knowledge—tli’at the Nile Valley and even its approaches are fast falling beyond the grasp of the Axis forces in Libya. Their chances of making any really worthwhile progress into Egypt have faded. Britain should be able to strike first, and strike decisively, in Libya before any threat of a pincer movement such as was nullified by our action»in Syria and Iran again arises. With Russia’s help we have had time to breathe and the time to dispose our Middle East forces in order, firstly, to strengthen Egypt’s border defences, and now to prepare for the offensive in Libya. Within reasonable limits, Britain has been and still is able to stay her main thrust here till it can be made with complete confidence and probably even with resources distinctly in excess of those she will actually require to clinch the North African campaign. For this time, obviously, the decision in Libya must be final. We have long been watching the background of the Western Desert drama, where Britain has been strengthened by a great influx of tanks, guns, planes and troops. The Royal Air Force, in its night and day raids which seem heavier than ever, must be seriously hindering the Axis forces’ efforts to supply themselves at the same rate, and the naval activity in the Central Mediterranean has the same end in view. Tobruk is holding its head above the persistent harassing, and our iron dogs on the frontier are keeping the enemies at bay. If the New Zealanders are used in the ultimate major engagement, they will find themselves in the midst of warfare of the 1941 model, which they have only seen before from a onesided point of view. I can visualise tank battles waged under close air support, for we know that both sides have the material for action of this sort. And in the supplementary operations in support of the tanks, I can see scope for the infantry to meet infantry on better terms than ever before.

Possibly the enemy himself, in a last desperate show of agressive strength, may give us our cue. Then we may expect to see the whole of the great Western Desert war machine, whose cogs and levers reach from the Libyan border back to the eastern supply ports, slip into high gear. ENEMY PLANS ANOTHER NAZI DIVISION FOR LIBYA. AIR REINFORCEMENTS SENT BY ITALY. (By Telegraph—Press Association—Copyright) LONDON, October 21. It is reported from Ankara that Germany is sending another division to Libya and that Italy is sending air reinforcements. Other reports reaching Ankara mention German military preparations in Spain and Portugal and more preparations in Bulgaria and Greece for a move to the Near East. Martin Agronsky, broadcasting, said. Axis reinforcements landed at Tripoli in the past few days comprised a fully motorised German division and Italian bombers and fighters with ground crews. They were the first large-scale reinforcements for Libya since the outbreak of war between Russia and Germany. DEFENCE OF CAUCASUS GENERAL WAVELL BUSY. CHAIN OF FORTIFICATIONS. ZURICH, October 20. According to a message from Turin, Italy, the newspaper “Stampa” says that General Wavell is at present busy on defence fortifications extending over the almost unconquerable chain of the Caucasus Mountains, along r the Black Sea coast of southern Caucasia to Batum, and along the Caspian Sea to Baku. The “Stampa” adds: “General Wavell obviously considers it is possible that the Axis will make a frontal attack through the Caucasus Mountains, combined with land and sea attacks. The fact has been established that he is transporting large quantities of war material to northern Iran, Georgia, and Azerbaijan.”