SECOND FRONT

Gisborne Herald, Volume LXX, Issue 21066, 10 April 1943, Page 3

SECOND FRONT

BRITISH THEORIES LOCALE AND TIME SOVIET NEEDS AID NAZI DELAY IN TUNISIA (By Telegraph—Press Assn. —Copyright.) (Special Correspondent.) (.11 a.m.) LONDON, April 9. Wooiior or later one topic of conversation which is bound to crop up in llie conversations of the man.-in-the-stroet to-day is: ‘ 1 Wjhere will the Allies open up the second front?” Guesses range from Norway, Holland, France and Italy to the Balkans. It is a question which the Germans would very much like answered, but nobody knows—nobody except the Allies’ leaders who have chosen the locality and, in all probabality, the tentative date. Tho rough, sketchy but general strategy of tho war as at present seen in London is something like this. Germany must put Russia out of the war or she is lost. She must strike against Russia quickly with all the power at her disposal, meanwhile trusting General Rommel and the Üboat campaign to hold off the Allies in the West as long as possible. . Can Germany knock out Russia: The opinion is expressed that Russia is in a stronger defensive position this year than last year. They have better railway communications than they have had since the original Gorman advances. Yot the Germans have boon able to deny thorn possession of strong points for a general offensive—Smolensk, Orel and Kharkov. The Russians have behind their lines the “scorched earth” of reecni battlegrounds. Possible German Thrusts It is the opinion that there are no obvious pointers where Germany may strike as there were last year. One suggestion is that Herr Hitler may attack each side of the Smolensk raiiway with the object of destroying the Russian armies holding those sectors. It is declared that Germany cannot wait this year as last year until well into tlie summer. She must strike and soon.

Eyery delay that General Rommel can‘gain in Tunisia is most valuable if he thereby holds off the Allies from invading" Europe, but the opinion is expressed that it is not inevitable that the opening of the second front depends on the clearing of Tunisia. In fact, it may become necessary to strike before" General Rommel is knocked out, for the most urgent need of the moment is regarded as hitting Germany to afford the greatest measure of aid to Russia. The British and American air offensive must be having a serious effect on Germany’s war effort, but this is regarded as not enough and that a definite land blow must be launched this summer.