AMERICAN COMMAND

Wairarapa Times-Age, 6 February 1943, Page 3

AMERICAN COMMAND

IN EUROPEAN THEATRE APPOINTMENT OF GENERAL ANDREWS. PREPARATIONS TO BRING IN LARGER FORCES. (British Official Wireless.) (Received This Day, 11.30 a.m.) RUGBY, February 5. Lieutenant-General F. M. Andrews, hitherto commanding the American forces in the Middle East, has arrived in London to succeed General Eisenhower as Commanding General of the American forces in the European theatre of operations. General Eisenhower remains in the chief command m North Africa and the new appointment shows a redivision of theatres of operations. General Andrews defined his first job as being to increase and intensify air bombing and to prepare for the reception of the larger forces which will undoubtedly be brought' into the United Kingdom. “We intend to go. all out in intensifying warfare,” he said. “We do not need to start night bombing immediately. I believe very strongly in strategic bombing and we shall continue to proceed with the softening of Germany. We shall build up our bomber forces here as fast as the formation of new units and the shipping situation permit. That is the policy we have been following. I believe in combined action between all forces land, sea and air—whenever practicable.” , General Andrews continued: The best example of close support by air among the Allied nations was the operations against Rommel in Egypt and Libya. You have here in London now the man who has been charged with that close support work, Air ViceMarshal Coningham.”