FRENCH RULE IN AFRICA

Press, Volume LXXVIII, Issue 23813, 5 December 1942, Page 5

FRENCH RULE IN AFRICA

ADMIRAL DARLAN’S POSITION

AMERICAN VIEWS (N.Z, Press Association—Copyright) (Rec. 11 p.m.) WASHINGTON, Dec. 3. “Admiral Darlan’s proclamation describing himself as the Chief of the State in French Africa does ..ot affect the temporary arrangement Lieuten-ant-General Eisenhower made with Admiral Darlan,” declared an authoritative spokesman. "We are working under a purely military understanding. without political implications. Nothing any Frenchman says for his own reasons can change that fact. “Admiral Darlan’s status improved after the German occupation of the whole of France, which displaced Marshal Petain, whoso mantle fell upon Admiral Darlan. Not 10 per cent, of the French forces in North Africa would have followed a de Gaulle Government had one been established there.” The Morocco radio said the Allied Commander-in-Chief in North Africa i Lieutenant-General Dwight D. Eisenhower), in a broadcast, congratulated the people of North Africa, and also Admiral Darlan, General Giraud, and the French forces, on the manner in which they had rallied to the United Nations in order to save France. “All Frenchmen worthy of the great past of France have forgotten their small differences and are ready to fight to assure the restoration of Franco. Privations and sacrifices are coming, but freedom and ultimate prosperity will follow.”

The Algiers radio says it is officially announced that M. Marcel Peyroutin, a former Resident-General in Tunisia and Morocco, lias placed himself at the disposal of Admiral Darlan. “Working Arrangement”

The Washington correspondent of the "New York Times" says: "Reports from North Africa indicate that the American authorities are satisfied with the working arrangement with Admiral Darlan. Military affairs are handled through General Giraud, while the civilian government continues as before, with local officials carrying out American directives.” Broadcasting to the United States over the Algiers radio, an American commentator said; "Admiral Darlan is strengthening his grip on French North Africa. His decree shows that the arrangements between the former Vichy and American authorities go beyond the temporary military agreements at first envisaged. “Admiral Darlan announces that, ho is assuming the prerogative of the Chief of State. He is simultaneously commander-in-chief of the navy, army, and air force, representative of political power, and he also controls the French Government’s legal powers in North Africa. . ‘‘Observers in North Africa think that the American Government should realise that its representatives apparently are backing Admiral Darlan when he announces that ho is the repository of French sovereignty. In other words we arc tacitly saying that Darlan represents France. His proclamation shows that he will continue to control the French censors in North Africa. The French papers do not mention President Roosevelt’s comments on the arrangement with Admiral Darlan or Mr Churchill's references to Vichy and General dc Gaulle. The same people who ran the show for Vichy arc still flourishing. This is puzzling a good many people of various nationalities,”

GREAT ARMADA

TO AFRICA

MANY DIFFICULTIES OVERCOME

(8.0.W.1 .RUGBY. Doc. 3. The greatest amphibious expedition ever undertaken was the description given to the North African expedition by the First Lord of the Admiralty (Mr A. V. Alexander) when he told it to the House of Commons. He said that the vast armada necessary to carry aircraft and supporting troops had to be escorted across thousands of miles of ocean from the United States and Britain through waters where a formidable concentration of U-boats might take place within a matter of hours of the order being given by the German Admiralty. , , , . Mr Alexander said the armada had to bo held together in the rough wafers of the Atlantic and difficulties m manoeuvring large numbers of vessels in the Straits of Gibraltar and in the approaches to the landing beaches without lights and with no moon had to be overcome. Finally the troops had to be landed on a potentially hostile shore dead on time and also in the face of possible submarine, surface, and air attacks. The work entailed in the shipyards among other things the mounting of 1250 anti-aircraft guns with the provision of special storage for ammunition and accommodation for the gun crows. Elaborate Preparation After months of elaborate preparation the success of the expedition depended largely on the enemy remaining in complete ignorance of its destination. The risks to be taken were considerable, but elaborate precautions resulted in a complete surprise to the enemy. The expedition was organised in three separate forces, one of which sailed from the United States and was entirely the responsibility of the Americans. This unit was to assault Casablanca and French Morocco. The other two units sailed from Britain under the protection of the Royal Navy, They comprised American and British troops and' wore destined for an assault, one on Oran and the other on Algiers. The convoy contained British. American, Belgian, Danish, Dutch. Norwegian, and Polish vessels. Royal Navy escorts assisted by Royal Canadian Navy corvettes, and the Polish, Dutch, and Norwegian Navies were represented. Protection for the convoys was mainly achieved by the escorts themselves, and by co-operation between carrier-borne aircraft and (he Royal Air F'orce. The Fleet Air Arm especially" distinguished itself. Apart from securing protection for the landing it maintained such dominance over the airfields that the Royal Air Force and the United States Air Force wore able to land on them as soon as they were reached by the troops. Mr Alexander described how a Übnat sighted by a Royal Air Force Hudson was damaged, forced to the surface and disabled. The Hudson flashed the news to an aircraft-carrier whose aircraft concentrated on the submarine which was sunk by a torpedo from an Albacorc. It was the first occasion that a submarine bad been sunk by an aircraft torpedo. The operations led to the regrouping of Ihe enemy submarines as soon as the surprise was over and a very large number of attacks on U-boats wore carried out by warships, the Royal Air Force, and the Fleet Air Arm. An assessment of these attacks was incomplete, but already the Admiralty knew of more than 30 which had caused damage or destruction. “The U-boat assault has slackened lately, but wc have to keep our forces supplied by sea and must expect losses In consequence.” said Mr Alexander. After detailing the naval losses Mr Alexander added: "The United States and British Navies landed in North Africa forces sufficient to seize a vast area and launch a mortal battle with the Axis for the control of the Sicilian narrows. The Royal Navy has unostentatiously transferred to Egypt forces .sufficient to hurl Rommel from Egypt and Cyrenaica. It, at the same time, with the Royal Air Force has contributed to that victory by seriously interfering with Rommel’s supply lines, "Could a contrast be more striking?" said Mr Alexander. "Rommel’s army whose supply lines are stretched over 200 miles of water is muted by the Bth Army whoso communications cover 12.000 miles of water, and now he is threatened in the rear by the Allied armies whose supplies must be brought over some 3000 miles.”