DESERT VICTORY

Grey River Argus, 26 January 1943, Page 3

DESERT VICTORY

ITALY’S LOSS Eighth Army’s Success WAR SECRETARY'S BROADCAST. RUGBY, Jan. 23. The Secretary of Slate for War (Sir James Grigg), in a broadcast, said: “To all intents and purposes the fall of Tripoli completes the destruction of the Italian empire in Africa. Both the British and Russian armies had their dark days of retreat, but we believe that for both the tide has now’ turned. Both wul bear their due share in the annihilation of the blatant Axis beast. For months past we have been filled with admiration and gratitude for- the tremendous exploits of the Red Army. To-day we have cause to extend to our own Army that admiration and gratitude. For the destruction of the Italian empire in Africa is overwhelmingly our show —our’s, India’s. Australia’s, New Zealand’s, South Africa’s, and that of the inhabitants of British East and West Africa.”

Ungrudging help had been given by the United States in supplies and air forces in the later stages, said Sir James, but British Commonwealth troops had cleared the Italians out of an empire more than 12 times the size of the British Isles. The final stage—since the Sth Army attacked at Alamein—had occupied just three months. In that time the greater part of Marshal Rommel's armoured forces had been wiped out, and five or six Italian divisions had been destroyed or captured. The Bth Army had' kept up its pursuit and routed the enemy from the edge of the Nile delta to Tripoli, advancing nearly 1400 miles in 80 days. It was not an unopposed advance. All the time there had been fighting, skirmishes between armoured forces which had whittled down the enemy and cleared the wav for a speedier advance. Twice Marshal Rommel had halted and put up resistance, tut General Monegomery had used these pauses to bring up reinforcements and supplies, and then gave Marshal Rommel an extra kick, which drove him on in flight again. It was not easy going. There was no railway, but only a road which had been systematically sabotaged by the enemy, so that our cars had ploughed their way across the desert until the obstacles were cleared. In spite of all this, the average rate of advance was 175 miles a day, or, if the pauses were excluded, 30 miles a day. The problem of supplying the Sth Army during the campaign, Sir James Grigg said, was well illustrated by the fact that during one week more than 8.000,000 gallons of petrol and 8000 tons of ammunition were delivered to the front. The Navy brought stores by sea to one Libyan por& after another as they were captured. Aircraft carried supplies to the front, and evacuated the wounded. The Army in return seized and cleared advanced landing grounds, which enabled fighter aircraft to keep contact with the retreating enemy. It was an unparalleled feat of military organisation that flung such a great force, and at such speed, so far across a hostile desert, and much credit for the phenomenal march must go to the quarter-master general’s staff under General Lindsell.

Sir James Grigg also emphasised that the advance would have been impossible without full co-ordination between ground and air forces. Complete mastery of the air had enabled the most advanced forces jo be serviced by lorries, often without hindrance from the enemy, while at lhe same time the •?nemy’s communications had been constantly harassed from the air. At the same time, in the narrow waters of the Sicilian Strait and along the Tunisian coast, the Navy took heavy toll ol shins attempting to carry supplies and reinforcements to Rommel’s hard’pressed forces. In 1040 the Italian African empire had been held by more than 1,000,000 Italian troops. Since then, another eight divisions had been sent into Libya. Of these hordes it was safe to say that within a few hours not one would be left in arms on what was once Italian soil.

EIGHTH ARMY PRAISED »

LONDON, Jan. 24

Glowing praise of the men who captured Tripoli is given in the London press. All eyes ar'a now turned to Tunisia, where it is hoped the victor ous Eighth Army’s weight will soon be felt.

Commentators observe that the defenders of the African bridgehead, even if they succeeded in joining forces with Rommel, will suffer a disastrous lack of air support necessary to protect the essential sea communications. As the R.A.F. Middle East Command moves into the aerodromes of Tripoli, the enemies vvill be penned in a narrow channel strip, and will feel this lack more and more. ■' Meanwhile, it is assumed t-hat General Eisenhower, while the British and French screen his front, is organising the Americans as a striking force which, when the aerodromes are ready to receive full Allied air Strength, will synchronise in an offensive with General Montgomery. The preparations are expected to take a little time vet, but with a view to the earliest possible opening of a European campaign, hopes are expressed that the enemy will be driven out of Africa by the spring. Since October 23, Montgomery s armv has practically destroyed the Afrlka Korps, says “The Times Cairo correspondent. It inflicted 80,000 casualties on the enemy and destroyed or captured a thousand transport vehicles. The Afrika Korps would not have reached Libya at all if a deluge of rain ear-Jy in. November had not slowed our advance. Unrelenting and shattering blows were delivered against the enemy by the Allied air forces throughout the victorious campaign since Alamein. During that period 507 enem v aircraft were destroyed in the air. Allied losses were 335. Altogether the campaign in the Middle East has cost the German and Italian air forces, about 6000 aircraft, 4000 in combat.' and 2000 destroyed on the ground. ? “The Priest” BRITAIN’S NEW SELF-PROPELLED GUN. PART IN EIGHTH ARMY i CAMPAIGN. (Rec. 12.30.) LONDON, Jan. 24. Details have been issued of Britain’s newest self-propelled gun, a 105 millimetre gun-howitzer, nicknamed “The Priest.” which as a reply to the German 88 millimetre antitank gun, put the Allies ahead in the Eighth Army’s campaign. The gun is mounted on a General Grant chassis, which also carries a-one-pointer anti-aircraft gun. It is recalled that Mr Churchill last November disclosed that large numbers of high velocity self-propell-ed guns had been sent to* Egypt from the United States. ITALIAN GRIEF ' at loss of tripolitania (Rec 11.30) LONDON, Jan. 24. The Rome radio said Signor Guo-