DIFFICULT TASK

Wairarapa Times-Age, 22 January 1943, Page 3

DIFFICULT TASK

FACING ALLIES IN NORTH AFRCA ACCORDING TO BRITISH CORRESPONDENT. STRONG ENEMY STAND ANTICIPATED. (By Telegraph—Press Association—Copyright) (Received This Day, 10.40 a.m.) LONDON, January 21. "An effective union of Rommel’s Afrika Korps with the German forces in Eastern Tunisia will present the Allied commanders with the most difficult tactical situation they have yet faced in North Africa,” says the "Standard’s” correspondent at Allied headquarters. “It is unlikely that the Allies will be able to launch anything more than limited attacks to prevent the union. Such attacks will hamper, but not prevent the junction of the two armies and their formation into a formidable force, estimated to' number at least 160,000 men, operating on supply lines considerably shorter than ours. If this force could hold a bridgehead in Tunisia until the end of the summer, our use of North Africa as a base for operations against the European coastline would be impossible. There is every reason to believe that the Germans will attempt to make such a stand .and even to launch strong local offensives through Mateur and Medjez el Bab. Nobody here is over-optimis-tic over the Allies’ chance of preventing the enemy joining, nor does anyone consider that the coming campaign to oust the Germans will be anything but long, arduous and costly.