Wairarapa Times-Age TUESDAY, DECEMBER 15, 1942. ANOTHER STRIDE IN AFRICA.

Wairarapa Times-Age, 15 December 1942, Page 2

Wairarapa Times-Age TUESDAY, DECEMBER 15, 1942. ANOTHER STRIDE IN AFRICA.

admirably synchronised liming of action al either end of tlie North African front became apparent in the opening days of November, when the smashing of the El Alamein line and the rout of Rommel’s army were followed swiftly by the Anglo-American landings in the principal ports of French Morocco and Algeria. Months of careful planning by Generals Alexander and Montgomery in Egypt and by General Eisenhower and Admiral. Sir Andrew' Cunningham as organisers of the landings in French Africa, opened the way at that; time to highly effective co-ordinated action.

It may be assumed that the Allied operations in Libya, and in Tunisia are still, being directed and developed in accordance with a single great strategic plan having as its immediate aim the destruction or expulsion of the remaining Axis forces in Africa. In these circumstances, the success of the Eighth Army in driving Rommel’s remaining forces from their defensive positions in the El Agheila bottleneck, which was reported yesterday, must be regarded as an important forward step towards Ihe attainment of the ultimate Allied objective, in Africa—mastery of the whole southern shore of the Mediterranean.

Details available al time of writing show that it was under a strong pressure of air attack and of probing by British mobile forces that the Axis army was thrown out of its strong defences on the El. Agheila line, near the border of Cyrenaiea, and some 300 miles east of Tunis and that the enemy is being closely pursued and harried in his westward retreat. It may be taken for granted that Allied action in Tunisia will be co-ordinated with the pursuit by the Eighth Army of Rommel’s retreating forces.

In itself the advance on Tripoli from the oast would be a. laborious and difficult, undertaking, involving serious problems of long-distance transport and supply. These difficulties may be modified greatly, however, by the fact that the Allies are in a position to strike from both west, and east. For some 200 miles or more on his present retreat, westward from El. Agheila the enemy will find no defensive position comparing with, that from which he has .just, been ejected. It is suggested that he may attempt to make a stand on a line extending inland from the small port of Misurata, about 80 miles east of Tripoli. The distance from Tripoli to the frontier of Tunisia is about--150 miles.

AVlielher the enemy will attempt to defend Tripoli, or can. hope -to do so in the conditions now developing, remains to be seen.. Even should he abandon. Tripoli, however, he will no doubt make the most of the defensive possibilities of the difficult hill country in western Tripolitania and on the Mareth Line in the mountains on the French side of the Tunisia-Libyan border. This sector dominates the narrows of the Mediterranean, between North-Eastern Tunisia and Sicily.

A great deal must depend upon, the speed and enterprise with which the success of the Eighth Army in forcing the El Agheila bottleneck is followed up, in Libya and Tunisia, but the enemy is exposed in any case, in. a contracting defensive foothold, to simultaneous air and land attacks from either side.

The Allies have every incentive, to make the most of the opportunities by which they are now faced in Africa. With the whole African shore of the Mediterranean in their hands and a chain of airfields from Casablanca, to Egypt at their disposal, the sea routes to Syria, Palestine, Egypt and the Persian Gulf would be shortened, by thousands of miles. At the same time, the Axis in Europe would' be exposed to attack at any one of numerous points, extending from France to the Balkans. The latest achievement of the Eighth Army.may be the prelude to very great events.