PROMISING SIGNS IN NORTH AFRICA

Dominion, Volume 34, Issue 195, 15 May 1941, Page 8

PROMISING SIGNS IN NORTH AFRICA

In the day-to-day reports of the lighting in North Africa there have been promising signs that things have not been going so well for the Germans and Italians as they had expected from their initial success at Benghazi and their subsequent advance toward the Egyptian frontier. They have encountered a serious check at Tobruk, and not only a serious check, but considerable losses in men and equipment have been suffered as the result of repeated abortive, attempts to capture this strongly-held position. Furthermore, the tide of events is altogether in favour of the defenders, for the Royal Navy, freed from the onerous and all-important task of carrying out the Allied withdrawal from Greece, is now able to bring heavy pressure, to bear upon the enemy’s positions along the coast, intercept supplies, ami facilitate the landing of reinforcements and supplies foi lobiuk In short, the elements which contributed to Sir Archibald Wavell s earlier successes in Libya have been restored, and. the position now appears to be approaching in similarity of conditions that which confronted the Italians on the eve of their series of disasters. 1 he. enemy’s advance toward Egypt appears to have been definitely held up for the present at a point where delay and the interruption of supplies seem likely to lead to serious disorganization of plans, with the possibility of ultimate isolation from his main base in Tripoli. . Ihese are encouraging signs. If the position can be maintained pending the arrival of substantial reinforcements from the Abyssinian campaign now nearing its close, it should be possible for the tin cat to Egypt to be definitely checked