CRITICAL DAYS IN ATLANTIC

Auckland Star, Volume LXXIV, Issue 83, 8 April 1943, Page 4

CRITICAL DAYS IN ATLANTIC

the foundation of all the efforts of the United Nations, as Mr. * Churchill pointed out long ago, is their ability to use the seas. ® is worth emphasising at this time, when the achievements of Allied air forces and armies are such as to raise high hopes that great even s are impending. The Allied land forces, working m close co-operation with air forces, continue to close in upon the enemy m Tunisia an from North Africa also the air forces have begun a great assault on enemy aerodromes in Sicily, shipping in the Mediterranean, and ports in Italy. All this is encouraging in itself, and even more encourag in what it portends. But it is timely to recall that the building up North Africa of the great forces which are now being broug 0 was made possible by Allied navies and merchant ships, and the mail tenance, supply and increase of those forces depend utterly onl the success of the Allied Command in countering the deadly onslaught the submarine. That being so, serious attention should be paid to the statement attributed to the United States Secretary of the Navy that more German submarines than ever are now abroad, and aie con tlSt Although it is stated, unofficially, that losses situation, it is nowhere suggested that Hitiei su u Unfortuna tely, it can gain, what might be described shi PP ing needs of the is net necessary that they should • inrrease( j enormously, and Allied forces, for military onVe Cmatinent are they must further increase, if g Le a 1 . made at Casablanca, for to be launched and maintainied. P unlegg Al }i e d military comnine months ahead, cannot I ° e , * t i, e continuing reception, of manders receive, and cani be the ( , g the forces andsupplies ~i n„ t ' he postponement of carefullysuccessful to the point of com! >el g ce^e d in its primary purpose. planned operations, t to i aun ch another offensive in Russia, Hitler will have gamed time tunes to launcn mnei the Qerman war and bnp Thf is danger which the British and United States navies, SSSon,ma h nde?s! Ld a Sr advisers and helpers on shore, alone ean avert.