HANGING ON

Wairarapa Times-Age, 17 December 1942, Page 3

HANGING ON

ENEMY IN TUNISIA. IMPORTANCE OF TIME FACTOR. IN CLEARING NORTH AFRICA. (By Telegraph—Press Association—Copyright) LONDON, December 15. The “Daily Mail” in a leading article says that the enemy hopes to keep the Allies’ hands full with the North African campaign till the spring. “It must be our business to see that he fails,” the paper says. “General Alexander will endeavour to break up the Afrika Korps on' the long journey to Tunis, for it is Rommel’s army he is after, not the desert villages. The situation is different in Tunisia, .where the Axis stand is firm —it can be little else, for the sea is behind them. Our good airfields are far off in Algeria, and we cannot hope for air supremacy to drive the enemy into the sea till the new ones have been constructed. While ,the enemy clings to Tunisia he is protecting the vulnerable belly of the Axis and is able to strengthen his European defences. “Every month that we are tied down in this area is time won for the Axis. We are confident that this fact is recognised by responsible quarters.”

EVADING ACTION

ENEMY AIR FORCE IN TUNISIA. HELD BACK FOR DEFENCE ' OF BIZERTA. LONDON, December 15. The “Daily Express” correspondent with the First Army says that the Luftwaffe is anxious to conserve its strength and is playing hide-and-seek against our fighters, which almost daily return from sweeps over enemyheld territory without making an en-

counter. There is no question of cowardice or weakness on the part of the enemy; they are just being wily. One explanation is their high losses in combat with our fighters—sometimes eight to one. The Germans also know that we are preparing for a heavy blow against Bizerta.”