DESERT DRIVE

Auckland Star, Volume LXXIII, Issue 199, 24 August 1942, Page 4

DESERT DRIVE

PLANNING NEXT PUSH

Changes In Command Had

To Be Made

United Press Association—Copyright 2 p.m. LONDON, August 23. "Mr. Churchill and I discussed what can be done in 1942, and what could be done for the great offensives in 1943," said General Smuts, Prime Minister of South Africa, referring to4iiS meeting with Mr. Churchill in Cairo. ' He added that the ground loat in North Africa must be recovered, and said: "I am convinced th*t it can be cleared of the enemy if -we plan properly with the men ami material at our disposal." Referring to the North Africa command, General Smuts said that Mr. Churchill had to make changes, but thfiy were no reflection on the men concerned. It was not a question of commanders or personalities. "TJiey may be the ablest and best in the world, but we must plan for victory. General Auchinleck is one of the ablest commanders I have ever met. I have the highest opinion of him. but that does not mean he is the best man to win that victory in North Africa," said' General Smuts. General Headquarters in Cairo reports: "Apart from patrol activity there is nothing to report from our land forces. There was a slight increase in air activity. Our fighters and bombers successfully attacked groups of enemy vehicles in the southern and central sectors. "Land operations yesterday were confined to artillery exchanges in the northern and central sectors. Although dust storms curtailed air operations in the battle area, our fighter bombers successfully attacked enemy vehicles and encampments. An italian aircraft was destroyed by fighters near Cyprus during the night. A Heinkel 110 was shot down into the sea near the Nile delta." The sth Army's losses since June have now amply been made up, says the Cairo correspondent of The Times, and It is again possible to contemplate more than the mere defence of Egypt. In considering the striking power of the Bth Army and also the 10th Army guarding the Persian-Irak oil*t r. B '. « must be remembered that United States assistance is daily coming more and more into the picture. 1

Heavy bombers attacked Tobruk and set a ship on fire in the harbour Our medium bombers went for Mersa Matruh ano an aerodrome on western Crete. Over the Egyptian battle area enemy transport was attacked. On Thursday torpedo planes spotted an enemy convoy in the lonian oea. They sank a small pilot vessel and damaged a dpgtroyer k when 3 ay , ?' V renewed the attack. when a tanker was brouffht tn t B standstill with oil pouring from it I thon A e p r , cc c L ays cndGC ' last nieht ■ the n.A.F. in the Middle East lost m fiw also? 3 Und the enemy sevc:i