Evening Post FRIDAY, JANUARY 22, 1943.

Evening Post, Volume CXXXV, Issue 18, 22 January 1943, Page 4

Evening Post FRIDAY, JANUARY 22, 1943.

TUNIS AND TRIPOLI

The Axis North African .bridgehead trill depend, on supply lines by sea; •nd air—unless Hitler prefers to regard j It as another "hedg,ehog"-~-an4 therefore- the German High Command is faced with all the problems of sea war. air war, and land war, in all their manifold aspects. The student of war will watch with the: keenest interest bow -Hitler andl his satellites try to meet this situation. In an. Axis defence of the Mediterranean narrows, across which the Axis surely lines lie, a certain portion of the African coastline must be ii^eluded. Inevitably the ([Tunisian garts of Bizerta and Tunis would I^tome Hitler's first objectives when, <ieneral Eisenhower started the *a<ie for North Africa. In addition to tfhese two ports, there is a great deal more of the Tunis coastline whichwby jproximity to Italy and by the very Mature of things—Hitler could reach (before Eisenhower could, reach it prqbtem with relation to the Other Tunisian ports between Bizerta •rid Tripoli was "not whether he could jget there b^fow S^enjxower, There y?as realjy no obstacle to his getting there except the uncertain obstacle of the« resistant IVeneh. it w«p, for fcitler, not a question of "what part ftf the cditstjine can J sei?e?" but "what apart can t feoJd to advantage?" Tn« defensive value of these bit* oj Africa to Hitleryw^ d«p«eoaent on- (J> their natural place; given them by geoirj^ti^in, i&e strategy M pending «fei lupowst: <Brmia&'R ability to organise them properly for defence,, wi&aia tteie-liiaitiu Qbinif outside the Tunis boundary, 'there waa also the por> «f Tripoli. Sjripoii did not need; to, be 'seized, It 'wa.t the gem of Mu*golini's Africa ib^fotfe the war, and,; before Mussolini BftMsciiniß;^'' f Se^^ecfU^:^;^l«ser;is/' '.. After lialy «Rt«r«C: tne. '-'wax* Tripoli was Hitler* to uao a* he liked,,and, of icouwt, he used it in Rommel's inarch on tjuni Ail that waa obvious, What wai »ot so obvious N was what place 3frij*jtt would hold in the revised Mediterranean strategy imposed on Hitter by Eisenhower's masterly initiative., Towajpda the end of the year just closed, General Montgomery caused Hitler's African ambition tQ contract suddenly and violently. Rommel made his thousand miles' re* treat, and now has neared Tripoli. The Axis dream of entering Asia through Egypt perforce gave place to the narrower policy o* blocking the Mediterranean at its narrowest portion; laid then-.-the important question arose whether the German strategic, plan would-include, Tripoli a§. part of the African bridgehead«Thdt! question can be ■ an#e?e^p^iUvely^*- if-'-Eoinmel evacuat|s;tT|^olC # &*s« ?st|ldt *••' sCensiVjatlmei %sj&.an!l jecidfii to die in Japanese la^ioii to liig.own fox« holes. * Jtfsttat M§ igjfflMffi *&«' indications, rn.Qr^fqlii^ei Bee.m. to be that Rommel awJlllTOaycft out of Tripoli and that Montgomery will /march in. X so, another important phase in the Axis revised strategy—diefencf! of the narrows—\vffl havebegvuv . The Ge3> man High Command will have resisted the temptation to adopt Sanananda tactics, and the Mediterranean pro*, tagonists will «aye come into much closep. hitting range. A? fee S^a«S^#ian4a. story shows. J^pi^^^n*>f givf away an inch of coastline, except over the last dead bo^y.. Hitlejp aM Rommel can give away coastline by a thousand miles at a. time. One therefore cannot expect IBeriin to take a TpklOi View Of Tripoli. jAt the same time, if the Germans really intend to leave: that port, it would be snteresting_ to know-by what standards 4hey discoui^4t*.value to the Allies,, now 'Tripoli as they march.rwestward towards Tunis. IA radio message to hand points out titat Tripoli fe "a major port and air ibase." Tripoli, is only 329 miles from the Axis supply lines connecting the Tunis bridgehead with Sicily. Tripoli 5s still neareil;to the, Tunisian ports of Sfa* and Gabej, about 800 miles away. On the debit fide, temporarily, is the fact that the Allies will have limitations in "the use ol the |>opt of Tripoli, which "has, been, a constant target for. tAllied heavy bombers an 4is not likely to be in very good shape." And if Rommel shows as much energy in demolition as he has shown in laying minei in his own track, Tripoli will be-instill worse shape when (if) he leayes it. But surely it id very dangerous for. the Axis defenders pf the nar-. rows to put Tripoli in the hands Of Pn alliance which, having secured, air mastery, is unlikely to ever again 'lose it,- While Tripoli, already famed in song and story, is. thus on the eve of making freih history, feverish pre> iparational activity on both sides in Tunis heralds a great battle for North Africa on the steps of the bridgehead itself. Meanwhile it is wise not to jforget what Admiral of the Fleet Sir Andrew Cunningham lately said. The Mediterranean IPJeet i§ poised for action. ■ •