Wairarapa Times-Age SATURDAY, AUGUST 22, 1942. ALLIED STRIKING POWER.

Wairarapa Times-Age, 22 August 1942, Page 2

Wairarapa Times-Age SATURDAY, AUGUST 22, 1942. ALLIED STRIKING POWER.

* JN an article by an unnamed special, correspondent wliieli was cabled from London yesterday, the recent conference of Allied leaders in Moscow and the commando raid against Dieppe were bracketed as two of the most encouraging war developments for months. The overshadowing importance of the Moscow conference is self-evident. The measure of agreement officially declared to have been reached by M. Stalin and Mr Churchill, with an unqualified assurance of United States approval and support, can mean nothing else than that a great forward step has been taken, in the co-ordination of Allied strategy. How far the raid, on Dieppe is an earnest of the ability of the Allies to translate this agreement into action in the immediate future is, however, an open question and one on tjie answer to which a great deal may depend. That the raid on. Dieppe was a bold enterprise, carried out with great gallantry and with a considerable measure of sue-' cess, is already clear. In naval and air action, the Allied forces established a decisive superiority. In land operations, too, forces consisting predominantly of Canadians gained a considerable measure of success, as the destruction of batteries and. a radio location station and other details bear witness. The mischance, however, of the Germans getting warning of the impending onslaught led to the raiding troops being checked with heavy loss on an important section of the front. It remains in these circumstances to be seen whether the raid on Dieppe was or was not an introduction to powerful diversionary action by the Allies in Western Europe. The special correspondent mentioned above, observes of the raid that such attacks, frequently staged and with increasing weight, will prove most embarrassing to the enemy, and will undoubtedly pin down many divisions which Hitler would like to switch to Russia. According to another cablegram from London, the landing at Dieppe has greatly heartened the British people, who are inclined to regard it as a rehearsal for forthcoming second front operations. There is no authoritative assurance meantime even of the frequent and increasingly heavy raids predicted by the special correspondent, but in view of the critical position reached in South Russia, with German, columns thrusting into the Caucasus and towards the Black Sea ports and enemy massed forces further north making menacing, though difficult, headway towards Stalingrad and the Caspian, it certainly must be assumed that the most will be made by the Allies of any reasonable opportunity for attack that presents itself in Western Europe. Events in South Russia during the remaining month or two of good weather in that region must be expected to have an important bearing on the remaining duration of the war. It is believed widely that the Russians may have in hand the resources that will enable them, at the moment of their choice, to launch a powerful counter-offensive. Prospects of that development evidently will be brightened if the Allies are able by aggressive action to pin down large enemy forces in Western Europe and still more if, by that action, the Germans are compelled to transfer land and air strength on a considerable scale from Russia to the west.