THE New Zealand Herald AND DAILY SOUTHERN CROSS MONDAY, DECEMBER 16, 1940 "LET US STRIKE HARD!"

New Zealand Herald, Volume LXXVII, Issue 23840, 16 December 1940, Page 6

THE New Zealand Herald AND DAILY SOUTHERN CROSS MONDAY, DECEMBER 16, 1940 "LET US STRIKE HARD!"

Over desert wastes, the advance of the Army of the Nile continues toward the frontiers of Libya, crushing in its progress the schemes of Mussolini for the conquest of Egypt, the seizure of the Suez Canal and the violent acquisition of a vast African empire. After the collapse of France, Italy, through sheer weight of men and munitions, faced her jackal's task in Africa with some prospect of success. But not for a moment since Mussolini's treacherous entry into (he war has ho been able to claim naval control of the Mediterranean. This is probably the cardinal factor in the development of the African campaign. British sea power has proved as compelling as in the days when it forced Napoleon to abandon a magnificent army in the Middle Fast, ft has menaced the whole long line of Italian communications on the sea route to Africa and along the coastal road from Libya to Sidi Barrani ; it has cleared the way for reinforcements to be safely convoyed to Egypt : and it has now lent its massive weight to the hammer blows that are being struck at Graziani's legions in the Western Desert. The Navy's task has been arduous and protracted, but the results of its successful performance arc now being revealed. Those rare brushes during the past few months with the furtive Italian fleet have made possible the bold strategy of General Wavell's counter-offensive on land and its brilliant tactical execution by an Empire Army. News from the Western Desert continues to be encouraging and its tonic qualities are underlined by the congratulatory message addressed by His Majesty the King to General Wavell and to all troops under his command. As His Majesty says, skilful planning has been matched by efficiency and dash in action against an enemy vastly superior in numbers—a Royal tribute that is magnificently deserved. Patience apparently must still be exercised in waiting for an authoritative and connected account of the operations as a whole—and particularly for the story of the part that New Zealanders have played in them—but sufficient has already been said in the brief communiques from Cairo and in unofficial reports from other sources to show that lessons learned from earlier campaigns notably those in Norway and Flanders—have been successfully applied. Sea power, as has been pointed out, is a vital factor, but in land operations the Germans have given the world some devastating demonstrations of the force of the air arm. In Norway they seized all the aerodromes and used them to such purpose that the Allied forces sent to the relief of the Norwegians had to withdraw; in their advance through the Low Countries they methodically bombed every aerodrome and landing ground from which British aircraft might have countered the waves of Junkers, Heinkels and Messerschmitts behind which the German divisions swept to the attack, and even forced the Royal Air Force to operate over France from aerodromes in Britain. In the Western Desert the tables have been turned with a vengeance. Raids on Italian air bases in Libya have been frequent since last September, but, with the advance of the British forces toward Sidi Barrani, they mounted to a crescendo. As a result, strategically placed enemy aerodromes have been rendered valueless and the Royal Air Force in the burning skies above the desert is as supreme as the Royal Navy in the waters of the Mediterranean. On the results achieved to date, the co-ordination between the three Services has been triumphantly complete. And what of the Italians? If their retreat cannot be covered from the air their losses must prove tremendous, for it is hard to believe that even the most optimistic Blackshirt, nursed in Fascist propaganda, can expect support from the Italian navy. The British advance may be halted for strategic reasons long lines of communication are extremely vulnerable in desert warfare but meanwhile the equipment of many Italian divisions has fallen into British hands. The invaders of Egypt are being thrust back into their barren Libyan territories, where Graziani will be faced with the task of reforming a broken army with no firm assurance of continuity of supplies from Italy. "The results I of the fighting will be one of the j decisive events of the war," said General Wavell in his prophetic order of the day on the eve of the British offensive. The "signal and crushing defeat of the Italian forces" to which he then aspired has! virtually been achieved by troops: who knew what their Commander-in-Chief meant when he said: "Let us strike hard!" I