NOTES ON WAR NEWS

Waihi Daily Telegraph, Volume XXXXII, Issue 8997, 21 August 1944, Page 3

NOTES ON WAR NEWS

ALLIED CAMPAIGN IN FRANCE

LANDING IN THE SOUTH.

PART OF STRATEGIC PLAN

The landing of the Allies on the

Mediterranean coast of France is

part of the general strategic plan for the liberation of France and, like the campaign in Italy, was an international affair in respect of both naval cover and the constitution of the landing forces, American, British and French troops forming the army of liberation and ships of the United Nations providing escort and artillery support. The whole country between Marseilles and Nice near the Italian frontier is hilly to mountainous, running up in Mt. Cabriere, 30 miles north-east of Cannes, to 9006 ft. The coast is mainly rocky, but with some sandy beaches in sheltered gulfs and “rades,” as at Bonnes and Ilyeres near Toulon. Railway and road communications between France and Italy follow the coast, with bridges and viaducts along the Riviera proper between Frejus and Mentone, near the Italian frontier. There are, however, valleys parallel to the coast, but some distance inland, such as the valley of the Argens and its tributaries, which possibly was the scene of airborne landings. The Argens runs into the Gulf of Frejus. Railways through these valleys link Marseilles with Frejus and Nice. Marseilles and Toulon

Tile first objectives of the Allied armies in the south will be like those of the Normandy landing, to secure good ports for the direct landing of supplies and reinforcements. The ports to the south are in the famous harbour of Marseilles, France’s chief port, and, nearer to the scene, the great naval base of Toulon, in which lie the sunken hulks of the French fleet, scuttled in November, 1942, to prevent their falling into tlie hands of the Germans then overrunning Vichy France. There is no indication yet how strongly Marseilles and Toulon will he defended. The Germans can hardly have too many troops to spare and available after the continuous aerial bombardment of their communications in France. The French patriots are also strong in the mountainous hinterland to the landings, in the Alps of Haute Savoie.

Part of General Plan

It Avas expressly stated by a correspondent Avith the Mediterranean forces, under the supreme command of Sir Henry Maitland Wilson, that the landings are not to be regarded as a “separate front.” The assault, ho said, is “part of the Avhole Allied strategy, part of the great French campaign.” Incidentally, also it may help General Alexander’s Italian campaign through the Avestern passes over the Alps into the Valley of the Po, thus outflanking the “Gothic Line,” to the rear of its western end betAveen Pisa and Spezia. But this is a by-product rather than the main objective, which is to liberate the south of France, in cooperation with General Eisenhower s armies in the Loire.

Big Gap to Cross

The distance betAveen, say, Marseilles and Angers on tho Loire, whore American columns are reported to have pushed southward over the riA r cr, is at least 400 miles by airline, as far as from Auckland to Wellington. Among the natural obstacles to be surmounted betAveen the two points is the great river Rhone, France’s longest, deepest and swiftest-running Avatcrway. There are also a number of tributaries of the Garonne River, on which Bordeaux is situated, crossing the track of armies marching from north-west and south-east to meet each other. In the centre are the mountain masses of the Auvergne and Cevennes, but these could be by-passed, if necessary, up the Rhone Valley to Lyons on the east side, and over the easy country Aveslward betAveen the valleys of the Rhone and the Garonne. It is in the hilly regions of the centre that the “Maquis” have been most active for many months. These may greatly facilitate the occupation of all southern France. Tho Avhole German position in France and the Loav Countries is crumbling to chaos. There are signs of further Allied activity of an amphibious character against Hitler’s Europe across the narrow Avaters of the Channel and Straits. It is clear also that a renewed Russian offensive is beginning.