VAST CHANGE

Wairarapa Times-Age, 14 November 1942, Page 2

VAST CHANGE

IN WAR SITUATION DISCUSSED BY GENERAL SMUTS. INITIATIVE TAKEN FROM ENEMY ON LARGE SCALE. (Received This Day, 10.0 a.m.) RUGBY, November 13. The last three weeks have seen a vast change in our favour in the whole war situation,” said General Smuts, in London today. “It is probably the greatest change of the war. The apparent stalemate has been ended and the crust of the enemy resistance broken. The situation is again fluid and changing daily. The initiative has been taken from the enemy on a large scale and is now with us, and we are going to exploit it to the utmost. “During the winter,” General Smuts added, “preparations will go forward and foundations will be laid for striking very great blows next year, in more than one theatre, and using all available resources —1943 will be our great offensive year. Although conditions generally undoubtedly are bad, and worse in Occupied Europe, heavy fighting will be necessary to bring down the enemy.” General Smuts said he thought it might now just be possible to envisage the finish of the war in 1944. He predicted that our forces probably would bypass Benghazi in a few days and have back all that they had lost m Libya. North-West Africa had been secured with unexpectedly little fighting with the exception of Tunis, which we hoped would soon be gained. The repercussions of our victory already were very far-reaching. By shortening the route to the east we should put ourselves in the best possible position for helping Russia, regaining Burma and so bringing succour to China. Already there had been -a slackening of German effort in Southern Russia and reports were coming in of a great switch over of enemy land and air forces to meet the potential menace in the south. _________