Wairarapa Times-Age THURSDAY, JANUARY 14, 1943. PROGRESS IN NORTH AFRICA.
WHILE rain and mud are restricting military operations in Northern Tunisia, developments are reported at the other end of the North African front, and on its southern flank, which possibly may open the way to a rapid change in the existing state of affairs. According to the Morocco radio, strong tank forces have joined the advanced units of the British Eighth Army in the Wadi Zemzem area, which is about 200 miles southeast of Tripoli, on the coastal, route, and the first tanks have begun to attack. This, at time of writing, awaits confirmation, but there is definite news that French forces which have advanced over a thousand miles from their base in the Chad region are now only about 300 miles south of Tripoli—their advance representing an increasing threat to Rommel’s southern flank.
Taking account also of the Allied air superiority which has been demonstrated more and more impressively of late, it seems not unlikely that the ability of the enemy to maintain any part of his remaining foothold in Tripolitania may be tested decisively in the very near future. Before the French advance from the south had entered into the picture, some observers acquainted with thq, Tripolitanian terrain had suggested that Rommel, having retreated from the El Agheila bottleneck —an extremely strong defensive position—would have poor prospects of making a stand anywhere short of the mountain country which extends about 60 miles east of Tripoli, to a line running south from the port of Homs.
As affairs are now developing, the Axis forces are menaced, not only by the direct pursuit of the Eighth Army and by Allied air attacks likely to be intensified, but by. the French flanking advance from the south —an enterprise in which Eighth Army columns may be able before long directly to co-operate.
Much must depend, of course, on the ability of the Eighth Army to overcome whatever difficulties of transport and supply are involved in maintaining an effective pressure of pursuit or attack on the enemy on the main coastal route to Tripoli. The necessity of bringing up supplies, rather than the strength of the enemy positions in the Wadi Zemzem area, probably accounts for the comparative lull that has obtained in Tripolitania during the last week or two.
The land communications of the Eighth Army with Egypt now extend over a distance of upwards of a thousand miles, whereas the Axis forces are only about 200 miles away from their main base of Tripoli and twice that distance from southern Tunisian .ports. It modifies the position, however, that Benghazi and a. number of smaller ports along the coast, of Tripolitania are now in British hands. With their air forces giving effective cover to both land and sea operations, the Allies no doubt are in a position to make considerable use of these ports in'easing their supply problems.
Although the situation is far from being disclosed and defined in all its details, visible facts suggest, as has been said, that it may not be long before the ability of the Axis forces to maintain their remaining foothold in Tripolitania is put to a decisive test. WEATHER RECORDING. WEATHER recording services which had been carried On in Masterton over a long period of years were terminated.recently, following upon a' failure by the Meteorological Department and the Borough Council to reach agreement regarding conditions in which the work might be continued. For the time being no records are being kept of barograph readings, temperatures, rainfall and sunshine in Masterton. This is a decidedly unsatisfactory state of affairs and but for the upset of war conditions a good many protests probably would have been made by members of the local community against the discontinuance of the recording services. In their day to day publication, the records were followed by many people with interest and they had and should have again their value also as a contribution to methodised and comparative national and district records. The Borough Council might very well re-open the question of having the necessary instruments, returned to Masterton. If the facts of the position aiTF-matle public it should not be impossible to overcome any difficulties that stand in the way of the recording service being re-established.
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Wairarapa Times-Age, 14 January 1943, Page 2
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714Wairarapa Times-Age THURSDAY, JANUARY 14, 1943. PROGRESS IN NORTH AFRICA. Wairarapa Times-Age, 14 January 1943, Page 2
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