Wairarapa Times-Age MONDAY, APRIL 12, 1943. A VICTORIOUS DRIVE.

Wairarapa Times-Age, 12 April 1943, Page 2

Wairarapa Times-Age MONDAY, APRIL 12, 1943. A VICTORIOUS DRIVE.

PAYING heed to all that has been said, and said wisely, about the folly of undue optimism and of indulging in unsupported hopes of early victory, it is possible to regard the great forward drive now being made by the Allied armies in Tunisia as not only constituting in itself a memorable achievement, but as doing much to brighten the total outlook in the war.

As news stands at time of writing, the Eighth Army, having captured the important port of Sfax on Saturday, is extended in a rapid and relentless pursuit of Rommel’s beaten forces towards the port and junction of Sousse, 75 miles further on and roughly midway between Sfax and Tunis. General Montgomery’s troops must by this time have linked up fully with the French and American southern forces which have been vigorously and successfully attacking the enemy flank. At the same time other Allied forces are striking east from Fondouk in a drive which threatens the enemy base of Kairouan and may threaten Sousse if the Eighth Army does not get there first.

In the north, too, the First Army is fighting its way towards Tunis. It should not be long before the ability of an enemy remnant to make a stand in Bizerta and its adjacent defences is put decisively to the test. The present developments in Tunisia bear witness, not only to the valour of land, air and sea forces, but to excellent planning and organisation.

With the complete conquest of the southern shore of the Mediterranean brought, it may be hoped, into comparatively near prospect, the way visibly is being opened to action further afield. This may have its bearing on much more than the invasion of Europe from south or west, or both, important though that invasion is. Whatever the magnitude of the task still facing the Allies and whatever the time that will be needed to carry out that task, the moral and material effects of the conquest of Tunisia arc bound’ to be far-reaching.

Many questions of interest and of great moment are thus raised. The German and Italian people had so often, until very recently, been assured that the Axis southern flank was safeguarded by the Tunisian bridgehead that the effect of the present course of events, and of the only sequel now to be expected, is bound to be staggering. Despair obviously is all but universal in Italy and though it cannot be taken for granted that the junior partner will be able to break away from the Axis in order to make terms, it seems safe to believe that she can be held by Germany henceforth only as a liability. In Germany itself, gloom and defeatism at least will be deepened by the extending Allied victories in Tunisia, as well as by the more and more devastating onslaughts of R.A.F. and American air formations and by another year of failure and disaster in Russia. The splendid progress of the Allied armies in Tunisia in any case is bringing into prospect not only offensive action in Europe in full co-operation with Russia, but a great easing and improvement of sea communications, notably with India and the Pacific . Before long there should be a considerable change for the better in the conditions of transport and supply which, amongst other factors, have made it necessary thus far to impose rather narrow restrictions on action against the Japanese in Burma, as well as in other parts of the Pacific war theatre.