ALLIES BEST SUPPORT

Grey River Argus, 23 November 1942, Page 5

ALLIES BEST SUPPORT

From Admiral Darlan

AMERICAN VIEW OF NORTH AFRICA. (Rec. 1.5.) NEW YORK, Nov 21. The “New York Times” Algiers correspondent, Mr Drew Middleton comments on Admiral Darlan’s administration. He says: This Administration is the one best fitted to aid the British and Americans in ousting the Italians and Germans from Africa. He adds: “It is conceivable that the Allies will receive important aid from the French soldiers, who are magnificent fighting material. In addition there is a wealth ol future soldiers in the French youth organisations, some of which frankly have been Fascists in the past, but they are prepared to switch to the democratic side, which now, like the Axis side in 1940, offers the best chance of advancement.” He 1 concludes: Admiral Darlan offers to the Allies certain advantages : which no other French group in North Africa could offer. Not only is French North Africa now secure for the Allies, but the French certainly will resist German attacks everywhere as they did at Tunis

ALLIED AIR UMBRELLA LONDON, Nov. 20. The biggest operation carried out by Coastal Command in this war was carried out when it provided air cover for the Armada which landed the British,! American and French forces in North Africa. Reinforced bv aircraft from Bomber Command, and also bv United States Army bombers, Coastal Command provided air cover for the ships from the moiTifnt they left Britain until landed the troops. Groups from England covered the ships until they were well out in the Atlantic, when aircraft from Gibraltar arrived. In addition to this piotection of the convoys other Coastal Command aeroplanes carried put anti-submarine patrols over a wide area. From a period late in October until mid-November Coastal Command flew a tolal of 8000 hours, covering on an average between 120 and 130 miles on hour. Attempts were made by German J'unkers 88 long-range fighters to interfere with Coastal Command aeroplanes but increased forces of Beaufightters successfully kept them fully occupied. Several New Zealanders are believed to have taken part in the armada protection including Pilot Officer P. McAvoy, of Dunedin, who was described by his captain as a first-class navigator. Coastal Command machines from Britain made fully twelve attacks against U-boats, while planes from Gibraltar, including Lockheed Hudsons, carried out more than a dozen attacks on two successive days. A senior officer said that Ihe fact that Coastal Command aeroplanes attacked submarines in the Atlantic showed that the Germans were active and if they had not been stopped or interfered with they might have met the vital convoys. The successes of the airmen from Gibraltar demonstrated the immense importance of air-power in submarine warfare. The proof was that the convoys had got through. For that reason he thought Coastal Command could claim pronounced success against, a very heavy submarine offensive. From the point of v'W of the air crews, the flights were “rather uneventful” except for the extremely trving weather. In addition to protecting the convoys Coastal Command aeroplanes carried out normal air cover tor merchantmen, throwing a very heavy strain on the organisation and not least on the ground staffs, who bore a heavv burden. “It is like swatting flies. As soon as you hit one, another appears, commented one member of a crew.

The U-boats operate from the Bay of Biscay ports—St. Nazaire, Bordeaux, La Pallice and Nantes—and th e Germans and Italians usually hunt in separate packs. It is unrelenting. There is no let-up and this warfare is going on 24 hours of the dav.