THE New Zealand Herald AND DAILY SOUTHERN CROSS. THURSDAY, MARCH 25, 1943 THE OUTLOOK FOR ROMMEL

New Zealand Herald, Volume 80, Issue 24541, 25 March 1943, Page 2

THE New Zealand Herald AND DAILY SOUTHERN CROSS. THURSDAY, MARCH 25, 1943 THE OUTLOOK FOR ROMMEL

Encouraging progress has been made by the Allies in their offensive against the Axis positions in South Tunisia, in spite of the Nazi counter-stroke. The British, American and French forces assembled under the command of General Alexander give every sign of possessing the weight and mobility to complete the task assigned to them, even though, as shown for the second time, setbacks have to be faced. General Alexander's object seems to be, not so much to push the enemy northward out of his present positions, but to drive him into the bottleneck of Gabes and destroy him there. Rommel must not be allowed to escape with the bulk of his forces to join Arnim in the north. The Eighth Army's attack in the outh should help to hold him on the defensive there while the Americans and French debouching from Gafsa drive toward the coast. A great deal depends on the success of these latter thrusts. The most northerly, by which the Americans have already passed Maknassy, seems designed to close Rommel's exit to the north by emerging on the coast at Griaba or Mahares. The second American column, driving,down the GafsaGabes road, and the French advancing along the northern edge of the salt marshes, are forcing more Axis forces back into the Gabes bottleneck to increase the congestion there. At the same time they threaten to take the whole Axis position in the rear. Rommel's nervousness on this score is betrayed by the strong counter - attack launched up the Gafsa-Gabes road toward El Guettar. General Alexander's design is therefore seen as a concentric attack aimed at driving the enemy inward to Gabes, and surrounding and destroying him there. In this task the veteran and stout-hearted Eighth Army has been allotted the stiffest taste." General Montgomery was faced with the problem of either piercing or circumventing mountainous country and the Mareth fortifications sited on parts of it. Although the line has limitations, its groundworks, constructed at leisure, were well placed to provide interlocking fire. In the eA-ent General Montgomery chose to attempt a break-through by frontal attack near the coast and at the same time to outflank the line by sweeping round its southern extremity. The first part of the operation repeats the plan at El Alamein —a heavy artillery barrage concentrated on a narrow front preparing the way for the attack of infantry by moonlight. Once again the infantry's devotion and valour pierced a corridor through minefields and fortifications. How formidable their task was is now apparent from the latest development as Rommel has hit back. But the El Alamein analogy fails when it comes to the second part of the operation. The Qattara depression presented an impassable barrier against an outflanking movement to the south and west. The southern extremity of the Mareth Line was also supposed to be impassable, but, as in the case of the Maginot Line, the French did not extend it far enough. In his sortie on March 12, Rommel proved that the desert south-west of the line could be negotiated by modern desert transport. Now General Montgomery has clinched the argument by sweeping south of the line, round the Matmata mountains, and thrusting deep into the rear of the Mareth positions. French niggardliness in failing to prolong the Maginot Line served the Allies ill in May, 1940; the same parsimony at Mareth has given General Montgomery his opportunity. No word has yet come of the disposition of his divisions, but it would not be surprising to learn that the New Zealanders are employed in this sweep round Rommel's flank. Ever since El Alamein they have been working on the inland or left flank of the Eighth Army. Heavy rain defeated their attempt to make a coup by striking up to the coast in the Western Desert and the speed of Rommel's retreat along the Gulf of Sirte discounted the promise of the second attempt near Nofilia. If the Division has been entrusted with the latest outflanking mission, they have again been entrusted with a task which promises great results. Whether the German counter-attack has involved this flanking force is not clear. If not, the presence of a British column near El Hamma, at the western entrance to the Gabes bottleneck is a threat to Rommel's whole position on the Mareth Line. With the danger of having the coast road blocked by the American and French columns driving west added, his resourcefulness and aggressive spirit seem likely to be fully tested.