The Southland Times WEDNESDAY, NOVEMBER 26, 1941. The Desert Battle

Southland Times, Issue 24602, 26 November 1941, Page 4

The Southland Times WEDNESDAY, NOVEMBER 26, 1941. The Desert Battle

THE BATTLE of the Western Desert has been described in London as “hard and confused.” Official comment remains cautious; but there are several facts which justify confidence in the outcome. The first phase ended with a success for General Cunningham, who selected his own battleground and forced the enemy to fight at a tactical disadvantage. In the initial trial of strength between armoured columns the British tanks proved themselves superior; but the losses appear to have been heavy on both sides, and it begins to seem probable that neither the British nor the Germans will retain a large advantage in numbers. This means that the fighting will now have to be left mainly to the infantry. There are special circumstances which may make the battle different from any previous action on a comparable scale. Both armies will have to depend substantially on the forces already in I the field. Reinforcement and supply problems are less difficult for the British than for the Germans, although General Cunningham cannot afford to draw heavily on reserves which may be needed on other fronts in the Middle East. The enemy is known to be landing more troops and equipment from transport planes, and he will certainly make a determined effort to retain a foothold in Libya. To do this he must break through the bottleneck between the Tobruk forces and the columns advancing northwards. If the gaps can be closed the engagement will become a series of sharp clashes between infantry formations disposed over a fairly wide area. The fluid nature of the fighting is being emphasized in official reports. Modern infantrymen travel in motor-vehicles, and are covered as far as possible by tanks and armoured cars. The Germans have to force their way out of the net cleverly thrown about them by General Cunningham. Much of the fighting may therefore be skirmishes, preceded and followed by rapid movements to different points in a narrowing battlefield. There are fixed positions and natural strong places where the Germans could establish themselves for a long resistance, especially if they expected reinforcements. But in spite of growing opposition in the air the superiority of the Royal Air Force remains unquestionable, a fact which must decisively influence the course and result of the battle. If the greater number of the enemy’s troops are prevented from withdrawing to their western bases British bombers and fighters will attack their supply lines and resist attempts to land reinforcements. The R.A.F. has already done much to assist the ground operations by raiding enemy aerodromes, tank concentrations and supply dumps. It may intervene more directly when the scattered actions are drawn together in the climax. Meanwhile public interest in the Dominion is focused sharply on the New Zealand forces. Their rapid advance during the first few days culminated in the capture of Gambut, an enemy supply centre half-way between Tobruk and Bardia, and they are reported to have been engaged in hand-to-hand fighting. More will be heard of them before the battle is over. Hitherto they have had to fight under serious handicaps: both in Greece and Crete they went into rearguard actions with inadequate equipment and little or no support from the air. They are now engaged on a very different enterprise. Tanks and planes are taking the edge from the enemy’s armoured strength, and when the New Zealand troops come to grips with German infantrymen they will meet them on equal terms. They have been waiting for this opportunity. Now that it has come they will do what is expected of them, and do it with a fighting spirit made hard and sharp by memories of Crete.