The Southland Times. SATURDAY, SEPTEMBER 21, 1940. The War in Egypt

Southland Times, Issue 24237, 21 September 1940, Page 4

The Southland Times. SATURDAY, SEPTEMBER 21, 1940. The War in Egypt

THE ITALIAN invasion of Egypt is still in its preliminary stage, and British troops have not yet been engaged in anything more serious than skirmishes with advanced units. British warships and bombers, however, have already harassed the enemy columns on the coastal roaa. The results of these operations will be watched with close interest, for the protection of lengthening communications is a vital factor in Italian strategy. According- to reports from Cairo, printed yesterday, there is evidence of “careful prepai'ation. Anything less than this would be suicidal in a campaign which has to be fought, at least in its first phase, in waterless country. The Italians lack the thoroughness of the Germans; but their rapid conquest of Abyssinia revealed a capacity for organization which surprised and confounded the military critics. There is an important difference, however, in the conditions under which they are pressing towards the railhead at Mersa Matruh. In Abyssinia the opposition was feeble on. the ground, and non-existent in the air. Italian pilots who delighted in the bombing of unarmed tribesmen, or in spraying mustard gas on wretched hillside villages, must now deal with British fighters. The Blackshirts who were able to build roads and advance rapidly without serious interference in the Abyssinian highlands now have to consolidate their positions under gunfire from British warships, and with fre■quent interruptions from the air. Marshal Graziani must obviously have foreseen these difficulties, and with the aid of German advisers he will have taken all possible steps to overcome them. The Italians possess one big advantage: they have no lack of troops. Although military experts agree that the Egyptian desert is one place where numbers can be a liability rather than an asset, the use of mobile columns appears to be introducing a new and unpredictable factor. Much will depend on the quality of the Italian tanks, and on the adequacy of petrol supplies. Mussolini is so unwilling to take risks against a really formidable enemy that his decision to move into Egypt seems to imply the existence of large resources.

Machines and Troops

It is possible, of course, that the Italians are under-estimating the potentialities of British resistance. Until a few weeks ago the British forces in Egypt were not large. But reinforcements have lately arrived, and a new British convoy has been reported in the north-eastern Mediterranean. Both sides are probably much stronger- in the air than they have been during earlier operations. German planes are known to have aided the Italians in an attack on Malta, and' it will be surprising if some of the famous dive-bombers are not ready to lead the tanks against Mersa Matruh. To balance these developments, comes word of British Hurricanes, now fighting for the , first time alongside the obsolescent Gladiators. Provided there is no glaring disparity in arms and equipment, the decisive factor will be the quality of the troops. The Italians cannot be said to have an impressive reputation: at their best they are not comparable with the Germans. But they are well trained, and they must include many thousands of veterans from the Abyssinian and Spanish campaigns. It would be foolish to treat them lightly, and it is unlikely that the men who may shortly have to face them in battle will make this mistake. Nevertheless, the British troops can safely be relied upon to show their traditional steadiness and courage. With them are several thousand New Zealanders, who have now had time to complete their advanced training and to grow accustomed to the stark Egyptian climate. If action comes on a large scale they are certain to prove themselves worthy heirs to the Anzac tradition. The approach of zero hour will be awaited in this country with an inevitable anxiety. But there need be no fear of the ultimate outcome.