LAST OUTPOST

Auckland Star, Volume LXXIII, Issue 307, 29 December 1942, Page 4

LAST OUTPOST

ITALY IN AFRICA

TRIPOLI OBJECTIVE

With Allied forces from Cyrenaica streaming westward into Tripolitania for the first time in either of the Libyan campaigns, another of the romantic regions of the ancient world comes into prominence, and the day is hastened when, with the meeting of the Eighth and First Armies, the enemy will £> e 5-? pletely driven from North Africa, writes A. H. Chisholm to the Melbourne Herald. . _ . . But that day of culmination is not immediately at hand. Much n a ™ and bitter fighting must be faced before the First Army can drive east and south along the coastline ot Tunis, and on the other hand, a great deal of difficult country must be traversed, along the coast of T.riontania, before Montgomery s men can sweep up the remnants of Rommel s army and reach Tripoli. At present the advanced forces ot the Eighth Army are rather mpre than half-way between the Egyptian frontier and Tripoli. They travelled 750 miles from El Alamem to the vicinity of El Agheila, in seven weeks, and are now 100 miles west of this base. Three Main Difficulties That was fast moving. Can it be repeated, or even improved upon, in Tripolitania? The answer to this question involves three considerations — the nature of the enemy's resistance, the nature of the country and the pursuers' ability to keep their long supply lines intact. Probably, as in Abyssinia last year, the second two factors will offer greater problems than the enemy himself. Tripolitania is a large area—rather more than half the total area of Lybia, which is usually given as 679,000 square miles, approximately the size of Queensland. Since Italy grabbed the whole of Libya amalgamation has developed between Cyrenaica and Tripolitania. But in olden days the two provinces were very distinct, with a border line extending mistily southward from the base of the Gulf of Sidra.

For more than two thousand years Tripoli has known war from century to century and has changed hands many times. Perhaps the most interesting phase in its storied history, in view c" present developments, is that it was twice involved in war with the United States.

That was in the early part of the 19th century, when piracy was running riot in the region. In May, 1801, the controlling Turkish Pasha demanded from America an increase in the tribute (83,000 dollars) which the Government of that country had paid since 1796 for the protection of its commerce from piracy. The demand was refused, and a naval force was sent from America to blockade Tripoli.

The war dragged on for four years. It included a picturesque incident in which William Eaton launched an expedition with the object of replacing the Pasha on the throne of Tripolitania by his elder brother, who had promised to accede to all the wishes of the United States. Motley Throng Eaton, at the head of a motley throng of 500 men, marched across the desert from Alexandria, and, with the aid of American ships, succeeded in capturing Derna. But he still had a long way to go to reach Tripoli. Meanwhile (June, 1805) peace was concluded upon the reigning Pasha relinquishing his demands and receiving 60,000 dollars as ransom for American sailors whom he held prisoner.

In 1815, in consequence of further outrages on the coast of Tripolitania, another American squadron visited Tripoli. This time the campaign was brief. It ended in the Pasha being forced to comply with all the demands of the United States.

A curious development of the present century—curious in the light of events to-day—is that Italy entered the scene mainly to checkmate Germany.

What a, whirligig the whole thing has been! Firstly the United States and Turkey came to blows in the area. Then Italy, forestalling Germany, stole the region from the Turks only to lose it during the last war and regain it later. And now, as a result of joining with her old adversary (Germany) she is about to lose the country a second time. At present the Germans and Italians retreating towards Tripoli along the Balbo Road are farther west than they have ever been (under fire) in two years of desert campaigning. But the difficulties confronting the pursuing Eighth Army are not few.

Apart from the mines and other traps left behind by Rommel's men, they have to face the menace of a r<3ad broken and pitted by our own aircraft as well as by the enemv Also they have to withstand the trials of a barren coast intersected by rocky gullies in which death may be lurking. Submarine Base As yet our men are something more than 200 miles from the first important town of Tripolitania the old submarine base of Misurata. Possibly it is here that Rommel will put up his strongest defence for if he loses Misurata he will certainly st ase . Tripoli itself. Misui ata. situated on the western headland of the Gulf or Sidra, had a pie-war population of about 14000. settlement, a°™ackgrouncf f oj I&S milita?" S m. a fore s rou " d ° f Thence the coastline swings northm?fe=! t0 5° ms and Tri P°li, about 110 M iurat* s r° miles from Misurata, is the old Leptis Magna de°r7ui r ?S ne f cchef^ efl y for its manv ■ antiquity, it was for f^ Uries the chief commercial th? qfw caravan routes south into rioWc= a ' -? nd , rival led Carthage for i a splendour. To-dav the population numbers about 5000. cut the chief centre of the region 13 T - ri P oli ' that ancientlnd of 7n nno °1' with a Population of /0,000, that perches on the chief ahoS U inn Tripolitania and within about 100 miles of Tunisia on the no e rth and 200 miles of Malta thl tiX ri £* *liT err V^ ns t ** e ultimate objecthprp that l ?* Eighth Army. It was Italian conquests in North Will end gan * "is there that the >'

hv *?? known administration aL hoJt- ities during its long ?" d hectic career. We mav well fairfv U WiU know a new one tairiy early next year.