Weather Problem in Tunisia

Manawatu Times, Volume 68, Issue 24, 29 January 1943, Page 5

Weather Problem in Tunisia

RUGBY, Jau. 27. The weather conditions in Tunisia remain atrocious, said an R.A.F. spokesman. There are now 12 inches of slime on the ground, almost insuperably irn--peding all movement. Spasmodic rain is likely to continue until the end of February, but from now the spells will grow less frequent and it should be possible for effective operations to be resumed shortly. The change will greatly affect the work of the R.A.F., but the nature of the campaign will necessitate the closest cooperation of land, sea, and air forces. Despite the weather handicaps, the success of naval and air attacks on enemy shipping and on Sicily and Tunisia has been highly significant. The enemy has undoubtedly received far fewer reinforcements and supplies than were anticipated. Tunis and Bizerta harbours have also been heavily bombed, especially by Flying Fortresses, but they have not been stopped from working. It is a slow process to put a military port entirely out of action. In the House of Commons the Foreign Secretary (Mr. Eden) said the earlier strict censorship on outgoing Press messages imposed from North Africa — for reasons of military security—had not been relaxed, and newspaper correspondents and radio commentators "ere allowed a wider discretion in their reports on the political situation. British correspondents received the same treatment as their American colleagues.