NOTES ON THE WAR NEWS

Evening Post, Volume CXXXV, Issue 39, 16 February 1943, Page 4

NOTES ON THE WAR NEWS

IN TUNISIA

PRELUDE TO BATTLE

Gaining momentum from the added weight of the forces released by the fall of Rostov and Voroshilovgrad, the advance of the Red Army in the Donbas and Eastern Ukraine continues on a 100-mile front, pressing the retreating Germans more and more down towards the coast of the Sea of Azov. Further north Kharkov is almost encircled. The Axis divisions trapped to the east of the city have, according to independent Moscow information, now been liquidated. The whole Soviet movement is developing into a vast sweep steadily marching on. In Tunisia there are all the signs of a prelude to battle on a large scale. To the extreme north, along the coast towards Bizerta, the Allies, mainly the First Army of Britain, are making some gains. In the far south the Eighth Army is advancing into Tunisia towards the Mareth Line. In the centre, on the other hand, the Germans have made a substantial twopronged drive, with heavily armed troops, west of the vital Faid Pass, forcing the American division there to withdraw some distance. The operations on both sides are designed no doubt to gain advantages of terrain for the coming big battle, which cannot now be long delayed. The weather from now on should be improving steadily, and the water-logged plains and plateaux should prove more amenable to transport and the movement of troops with their paraphernalia of tanks and artillery. Aerodromes will also be easier to work. 'Advantage to Axis. Taken as a whole since the start of operations in November the campaign has been to the advantage of the Axis. The British First Army had to fall back from its advance positions gained in an attempt to forestall the Axis in Tunis and Bizerta. The Axis, here mainly Germans, hold practically all the commanding positions covering the approaches to Bizerta and Tunis. In the zone further south the Axis has also gained, by drives here and there, considerable elbow room for manoeuvre and also important passes and strategic heights. Apparently they have now a defensive line all the way through Tunisia from north to south, ending at the Mareth Line. Should that be lost, there is the short "narrow neck between the sea and the Shott el Jerid to fall back on. The "New Yor* Times" correspondent, in today's news, gives an illuminating assessment of the situation in Tunisia. "It is obvious, he says, "that the North African campaign is becoming a showdown rather than a sideshow preparatory to the invasion of Europe." The sides, on his showing, are fairly evenly matched, with the Axis holding the advantages of terrain. It will be a tough fight all round. Some Sidelights. There are one or two curious sidelights on the campaign, not, to the best of one's knowledge, mentioned m the news so far. One is the sudden ban on sales of gasoline (petrol) as motor fuel in the United States just before last Christmas. The immediate reason given by the authorities was 'a shortage of fuel for the North African campaign." This announcement led to some rather acrimonious criticism of the "planning" of the campaign, and the President came in for a share of the blame. How far the "shortage went, and whether it has seriously delayed the Anglo-American operations is not divulged, but the Axis were certainly quicker to move, and there are still signs that they are better prepared at the moment to conduct minor offensives, even if the objectives are limited. It may be that at the moment, with the French troops withdrawn for training and re-equipment, the Axis forces are actually stronger on the front. It is a striking comment that the correspondent just quoted on the Tunisian situation should say, "Though the Allied air forces are able to strike. at the Axis bases harder than the enemy can hit ours, the Germans, are still maintaining local air superiority, somewhat compensating for their lack of numbers by 'quality." It looks as if, facing the Western group of armies, apart from the Eighth Army, the Luftwaffe is giving better co-operation to the German ground forces and getting better results. This has always been the Luftwaffe's best card. Only the Russians and the Eighth Army, in its advance from Alamein, seem to have overtrumped it. The Secret Submarine. A minor item in the news over the air referred to the secret missions of a British submarine commanded by Lieutenant N. L. A. Jewell. This was the craft which surveyed possible landing grounds on the Algerian coast, landed and re-embarked the secret Allied mission* to pro-Ally leaders in North Africa, and finally picked up General Giraud from an unnamed port in Vichy France and enabled him to get to Africa. The "New York Times" in a sub-editorial comments on this latter romantic exploit:

"When Giraud put out in his rowboat in a rough sea a young man whose name we do know came into the story. This was Captain Jerauld Wright, a United States naval officer in charge of a British submarine. Captain Wright, piloted by a British submarine commander, Lieutenant N. L. A. Jewell, popped a periscope up in the French harbour, a thousand yards off shore and within easy range of hostile land artillery. He came up within reach of the Giraud rowboat, which speaks volumes for the exactness of the information we were getting out of Vichy France. When the rowboat upset a seaman hauled the elderly but indomitable general aboard, later to keep his rendezvous with General Eisenhower.

"Captain Wright, son of the Lieut.General W. M. Wright who commanded the Eighty-ninth Division and the Third, Fifth, and Seventh A.E.F. Corps in the First World War, carried on his family's splendid tradition and richly earned the citation he has just received from General Eisenhower. One may conclude that General Giraud earned a citation, too. He certainly took some trouble and some risks to place himself on our side of the firing line."