AMERICAN FORCE IN VICHY AFRICA

Manawatu Standard, Volume LXII, Issue 292, 9 November 1942, Page 5

AMERICAN FORCE IN VICHY AFRICA

POWERFUL ARMADA

FORESTALLS THE NAZIS

BRITISH SERVICES’ SUPPORT

(N.Z. Press Association.—Copyright.) WASHINGTON, Nov. 7.

The White House has announced that a powerful American force assisted by British naval and air forces is landing on the Mediterranean and Atlantic coasts of the French colonies in Africa in order to “forestall an invasion” by Germany and Italy.

In conjunction with the British campaign in Egypt the landing is designed to prevent the occupation by the Axis armies of any part of Northern or Western Africa and deny the aggressor nations a starting point from which to launch an attack against the Atlantic Coast of the Americas. Furthermore, it provides effective second front assistance for our heroic Allies in Russia. Landings are being made both on the Atlantic and Mediterranean coasts of French North Africa.

The forces are equipped _ with adequate weapons of modern warfare. They will in the immediate future be reinforced by a considerable number of divisions of the British Army. A War Department communique states: “In North Africa a United States Army and Air Force started landing operations during the hours of darkness to-night at numerous points on the shores of North. Africa. The operation was made necessary by the increasing Axis menace to this territory. Steps have been taken to give the French people early information’ of the landings by radio and leaflets. These combined operations are supported by units of the Itoyal Navy and Air Force. General Eisenhower is Com-mander-in-Chief of the Allied force.”

The British United Press’s correspondent at the Allied Headquarters in North Africa says the initial stages of the assault were carried out by United States amphibious forces and airborne troops under an umbrella of carrier-based planes to seize vital aerodromes and channels of communications.

SHORT CUT TO EGYPT,

The Allies’ offensive is the largest mass movement of troops since the outbreak of the war. Their armada was the world’s greatest. Scores of thousands of United States troops are participating. “The Allies have taken a short cut to Rommel’s backdoor by the North African landing,’’ says Reuter’s military correspondent. “The control of Algeria and Tunis will spare the convoys the Jong Cape "haul which lias been the Eighth Army’s main handicap. Several railways and good roads near Algeria and Tunis give almost complete mastery of the West Mediterranean. Under the guise of the Armistice Control Commission the Germans are reported to have built up a skeleton military organisation in North Africa ready for all emergencies.

and there are aerodromes even in the middle of the Sahara Desert and the fastnesses of the Atlas Mountains.

Algiers is a big modern city with extensive docks and a population of a quarter of a million, mostly Europeans. The city is strongly fortified and the harbour berths the largest vessels. Tunisia’s principal air and naval base is Bizerta. There have been reports that Axis submarines used the Moroccan and Atlantic ports of Agadir, Mogador. Safi, Casablanca, and Rabat. Tunisia’s commander-in-chicf is General do Lattro de. Tassigny and tho commander-in-chief of Tunisia’s naval forces is Vice-Admiral Moreau, who is also' Maritime Prelect of Algeria. Tho military commander of Algeria is General Koelts and Morocco’s Resident-General is General Nogues. Ho was a prominent advocate of continued resistance against the Germans and Italians but succumbed to Marshal Petain’s influence. All 'meetings have been prohibited throughout France

The Hilversum radio says there is no doubt in Berlin that the British aim to capture the North African ports and set up a Second Trout there. The Rome radio reported that another big convoy of ships laden with troops passed through from the Atlantic into the Mediterranean escorted by seven destroyers and numerous speedboats. The convoy was reinforced at Gibraltar by two cruisers and one aircraft-carrier. SIMULTANEOUS LANDINGS. The first reports which Allied Headquarters in North Africa emphasised should be accepted with caution, say that American assault parties made successful landings on beaches in North Africa in two vital coastal areas, occupying important initial objectives near the beaches. According to the Associated Press’s correspondent the landings were made at numerous places simultaneously although hundreds of miles apart. Tho United Press’s correspondent at the North African headquarters says the American vanguard of amphibious and airborne troops is smashing inland to seize control of the French airfields and communication centres in order to open the way for mass landings. A Vichy report states that 63 Allied vessels are operating off North Africa, including Algeria. They include four aircraft-carriers, four battleships, 17 cruisers and destroyers and 20 transports'. Another Vichy communique says: “After a violent bombardment the British at 3.30 a.m. attempted to land at Algiers. Enemy speedboats were beaten off at 4 a.m. with losses. Complete calm prevails in the city. Other attempted' landings occurred on other parts of the coast of North Africa, particularly at Oran. 1 ocy were everywhere met by tho coastal defences and the attempts were unsuccessful. Admiral Darlan is in Algiers and General Juin, Comman-der-in-Chief of the French African Army, has taken the necessary measures in accordance with Marshal I etjiin’s orders.” (General Juin was taken prisoner by tho Germans in 1940 and later released. He replacetl General AVeygand last June.) REPORTS FROM VICHY.

According to the Vichy radio the action began spasmodically at Algiers at 3.15 and increased in violence with the dawn. Telephone communications wero immediately cut and an air raid warning was sounded at 3.55 although air activity was negligible. Gunfire and machine-gun fire wero heard coming nearer at 6.30. Tho population remnined calm. The Vichy radio states that a revolt has broken out at Casablanca. Oran is indicated by Vichy as a centre of activity. Vichy says that landings were made cast and west of Oran, and that oil the Atlantic coast an attack was made 50 miles south of Rabat. Vichy also says that bombs were dropped on an aerodrome in Tunisia. . .. -if The French forces in Algeria betoie the war totalled 85,000 but are now probably more. General Juin has some of France’s crack colonial troops and probably a certain number of the French Foreign Legion, whoso headquarters are normally bicli tie Abbas, in Algeria. His regiments include tho Algerian Sharpshooters and Spahis, who are brilliant cavalrymen, the Moroccan Sharpshooters and other native units, also Zouaves, hardy and experienced fighters who showed great heroism m the Riff war. French communications across the desert are swift by land and air. 11 army is fully familiar with the tracks