Late War News BALANCE SHEET IN THE WEST

Dominion, Volume 38, Issue 4, 29 September 1944, Page 6

Late War News BALANCE SHEET IN THE WEST

Mr. Churchill Tells Commons GREAT VICTORIES OF ALLIES

(By Telegraph.—Press Assn. —Copyright.) (Received September 29, 1.30 a.m.)

LONDON, September 28. Reviewing the war situation before crowded benches in the House of Commons, the Prime Minister, Mr. Churchill, said: “The short period of the summer recess has completely changed the face of the war in Europe. What a transformation now meets oiir eye. .The. foul enemy, who for four years had inflicted cruelties and oppression, lias fled, losing 400,000 men in killed and wounded and leaving in our hands nearly half a million prisoners. There might well be 200,000 men cut off in the coastal fortresses or in Holland whoso destruction and capture may now. bo deemed highly probable.

“We lost upward of 90,000 men in killed, wounded and missing, in France and the United States, including General Patch’s army, lost over 145,000. “The vast and brilliant encircling movements of the American armies will ever be a model of the military art and example of the propriety of running risks. The lightning advance of the British armies has not been surpassed anywhere. After paying a tribute to the superb feat of arms of the First Airborne Division Mr, Churchill said: “Its casualties are ’grievous, but for those who mourn there is the consolation that the sacrifice was not needlessly demanded. Not m vain’ may be the pride of those who survive and the epitaph of those who fell. Victory Outlook In Italy. In Italy, Mr. Churchill said, the conditions from now on would be more favourable for the destruction or rout of Kesselring’s army. The British were the largest force among the Allies in Italy: about half of the total number of divisions were from the United Kingdom. The large army facing General Alexander in northern Italy would not be able to cross the Alps to defend the Fatherland. .’ , , The Prime Minister reminded the House that the Russians .were holding and beating far larger forces than those fighting the Allies in the west. Mr. Churchill said he would not forecast the date of Germany’s defeat, but he could not guarantee that several months of 1945 would not be needed for this event. The Japanese in Burma, he said, could be expected to renew their offensive as soon as the monsoon was over, but Admiral Mountbatten was planning to meet them with the utmost vigour. Big gest Campaign. It was a striking fact that the campaign in Burma was the largest and most important yet fought against the Japanese on land. Between 50,000 and 60,000 Japanese had already been slaughtered. The British Fourteenth Army in six months of this year had 40,000 battle casualties. More than 90 per cent of its 237,000 sickness casualties were back bn duty. The Fourteenth Army numbered over a quarter of a million men. A large portion of tbe. British lileet was alraedy iu the Indian Ocean. The scale of British effort against Japan would be limited only by shipping The House adjourned for lunch.