The Gisborne Herald. WITH WHICH IS INCORPORATED “THE TIMES” GISBORNE, WEDNESDAY, DEC. 3. 1941. ALLIED REVERSES

Gisborne Herald, Volume LXVIII, Issue 20629, 3 December 1941, Page 4

The Gisborne Herald. WITH WHICH IS INCORPORATED “THE TIMES” GISBORNE, WEDNESDAY, DEC. 3. 1941. ALLIED REVERSES

The news to-day tells of minor reverses for the Allied forces in two widely-separated spheres. Firstly, there is the loss of the Australian cruiser Sydney and, secondly, the gains made by the Axis forces in Libya. Neither of these events, however, regrettable though they may be, should be regarded as likely to have any decisive effect on the progress of the war. The loss of the Sydney will serve to bring the war a little nearer home and to indicate, also, that the danger from isolated German raiders has not yet been entirely eliminated. It is a serious blow to the people of Australia, who have taken a merited pride in the record of the ship, but — and this is the point that should always be borne in mind —it will not affect British naval superiority. On the contrary, since she had previously disposed of the enemy vessel with which she was engaged, the balance of Allied sea power is still further increased. The Sydney has gone down with colours flying, as she would have wished to have done, and after striking another serious blow at the already much-diminished naval strength of the enemy. The reverse in Libya is of a different character since it is an incident in a campaign which is still continuing, but 100 much importance should not be attached to it until its lull effect becomes known.

It is still quite impossible to secure anything approaching an exact picture of tile situation in the Western .Desert. Everything seems to be out of focus and pieces are scattered all over the place, in due course the perspective will improve and the pieces will come logeTner to form a more composite whole. The main point in to-day’s news, the item whicn constitutes an Allied reverse, is that two Axis forces have joined up and recaptured Sidi liezegh, the scene of the neavy tank battles of the past week, and the battleground on which the New Zealanders have been so conspicuous. Just where these enemy forces have come from is not clear, but it seems likely that they comprise the two sections of the force which was cut in half by the initial Allied tank advance. The fact of their functioning is not necessarily a serious matter and, indeed, may prove to be an advantage. Previously, the Allies had two separate forces with which to contend, and this necessarily meant a diversion of strength. 'These units have inevitably been weakened by the heavy fighting and, if the Allied forces are superior, it mignt be an advantage to have the enemy consolidated and confined to one area. In the meantime there is nothing to suggest that the Allies have not retained the initiative and the upper hand. The outstanding feature of the battle of Libya is the encircling tactics adopted by General Cunningham, and these do not appear to have been in any way interfered with by the latest development. It was a matter of deliberate and studied policy that the main Axis forces should be contained in the Bardia-Tobruk-Sidi Omar triangle and there challenged to a trial of strength. They are still contained in this area and the trial of strength goes on. When the size and efficiency of the forces.engaged are remembered it should immediately be realised that a battle of this magnitude, with the enemy fighting desperately to avoid annihilation, cannot be decided in a day. It is inevitable, too, that the fortunes of war should fluctuate and that the enemy should succeed in striking some heavy blows before he is finally defeated. That he will be defeated there is no reason to doubt, but neither now nor at any other time was there the slightest justification for assuming that victory would be won without a stubborn fight. In his latest manoeuvre the enemy has given a taste of the resistance of which he is capable. The fact remains, however, that his is a diminishing force endeavouring, so far in vain, to fight its way out of the ring of steel by which it is strongly encircled.

This encirclement should be emphasised, for it is the key to the whole campaign. The main Allied spearhead was driven towards Tobruk and succeeded in linking up with the garrison there. That link still holds. Other spearheads were driven towards Gambut and the coast south of Benghazi. Each of these operations succeeded also, with the result that the enemy forces have been divided and their retreat cut off. The first objective was achieved and the second task, that of challenging the enemy in the various areas, is now proceeding. To some extent, perhaps, the Allied forces were inevitably weakened through their necessary division, but the enemy, too, has been divided, and the Allies have the enormous advantage of being able to bring up supplies and reinforcements to any of the points they hold, whereas the enemy is almost completely cut off from his bases. On the face of it, therefore, the enemy must be steadily weakened as the battles proceed, while Allied losses can always be made good. The Allies have the further advantage of superior air power and air bases and assistance from naval units off the coast. The only hope for the enemy is to break through the Allied ring, and the chances of his achieving this diminish rather than increase with the passage of time, . . .