Greymouth Evening Star. MONDAY, MARCH 8, 1943. IN TUNISIA.

Greymouth Evening Star, 8 March 1943, Page 4

Greymouth Evening Star. MONDAY, MARCH 8, 1943. IN TUNISIA.

’J’HE excitement aroused by the destruction of the Japanese convoy in the Bismarck Sea, having subsided, attention will be turned to the operations in Tunisia, the progress of which, after an unsatisfactory turn, now promises to be more in accordance with plan, to use a too familiar phrase. Rommel’s attack on the Eighth Army must have been prompted more by desperation than strategy, as he could have had no hope of catching Montgomery napping. The more Rommel wastes his force in attack, the less he will have available to meet the Eighth Army’s counter-blows. Not much news has yet been released about Rommel’s blow, but, so far, it appears to have failed, and developments will be awaited without anxiety. The Eighth Army has had time to build up supplies, and should be in fine fettle to resume major operations.

In the centre, the enemy is definitely on the retreat, and is the worse off for his enterprise against the American pockets. There is no continuous line in Tunisia, and it is not surprising that the' Axis may occasionally break through, as they did recently. Immediate counter-action was taken by I lie Allies, and, as has been demonstrated, the Axis was not powerful enough to withstand the blow. The Allies are continuing their advance, and if little that is spectacular has been yet accomplished, progress is being made which will have effect on the campaign as a whole. In the North, around the coastal region, the Allies have not done so well, and in a series of hard-fought engagements, —not battles in the true sense of the word, they have had somewhat the worst of it. Territory has had to be surrendered, and Tunis and Bizerta are further out of reach.

The latest Allied communique claims that the initiative in the North has been regained, and that “recent, gains are being consolidated. What these “recent gains” were is not known here. There is still, apparently, the aim, common in North African messages, to hide the unpleasant. The plain fact is that the Tunisian campaign has proved more difficult than expected, and valuable time has been lost. It is about four months since Hie Allies landed in North Africa,, but what has been actually achieved there since seems small to those who have to rely on official communiques for their information. The deadlock cannot continue indefinitely. The reasons for the disappointing progress may be entirely satisfactory, but until larger results have been, obtained, leading to the capture of Tunis and Bizerta, the reported optimism and confidence of the Allied leaders will, be more comforting than assuring.. Happily, the Navy is demonstrating its command of most.of the Mediterranean, and Axis shipping is having a rough time. In the air, the one-time Axis local superiority has dwindled, and the balance is slowly turning in the Allies’ favour. There is no cause for misgiving about the final result of the operations in Tunisia, and before long, the three Allied armies may each strike decisive blows, putting an end to the Axis in North Africa.