Evening star., 1940-10-25
Italians Seen Losing
Race 10 Strengthen
Desert Positions
Bombers Garry on Fight
As Both Sides Dig In
On Quiet Front
By JAMES ALDRIDGE,

TIERS IN EGYPT, Oct. Is (N.AN.A).
-(By Radio)-Fighting in the West
ern desert is in the lying-down stage.
1t is a new stand-ofT setup, with the
opposing guns almost barrel to bar
rel, but in repose.
It is exactly month since the
italian advance groups settled in
Sidi-Barrani and began to dig in.
Since then the amount Of activities
has been told every day on the
1-inch strips of pape--British war
COMMUNICATIVE the words, "All
quiet" Every day has been the
same
1t is not a reluctance to attack
on the part of either side. Each
army is about as strong as the other
now. But it has been left to bomb
ing airplanes to carry on the war
while both sides are ditching into
the desert in a hasty race for sup
port supremacy rather than 'front.'
line supremacy.
Because the Italians are further
out than their swimming depth they
probably are losing the race. Today
they are beginning to construct de-
fensive camps where offensive camps
should be. They are laying mines
where they should have established
support bases for an attack.
British on Defensive.
In this race for support supremacy
both sides are doing more or less
the same things. The British, no
doubt, are faster, but have had to
do more work because until now
they have been entirely on the de-
fensive. But that condition can
change overnight.
The biggest job in this contest is
road building. The British are
building roads, as the Italian airmen
know. The Italians are building
roads. as the British airmen know.
The Italians have big gangs of road
workers.
The famous He'll Fire Pass, which
is the entrance to the feed point
for Italian troops in their most
southerly escarpment, was a dam
gerous funnel. 1 saw the British
blow this up. Then the Italians re-
built 1t and the British blew it up
again. Today the Italian gangs
with liberal supplies of dynamite
are widening the pass.
Pass Bombed Regularly.
The Royal Air Force bombs the
pass regularly. which makes the
work difficult though not impossible.
Other dust tracks which I have
bumped over, and over which the
British have carried on rapid,
efficient transport across the desert,
are now being surfaced by Italy's
road gangs. For Italys heavier.
slower lorries have found the desert
tougher than the British rapid
transports.
Paradoxically the long-term policy
adopted by the Italians is more
hopeful sign to the British than to
themselves. British officers in the
desert always say time is the best
ally and won't fall down on them.
So far they have been right. Time
has been their ally. Time has built
their defense line and time can
hold it.
In purely mechanical way
Marshal Rodolfo Graziani has not
changed his army. 1t is still
quick-fre affair and for quick-fire
operations. The units of the motor
transport and tanks forming small
columns are kept together and
intact. One big colAnn consists of
several of these smaller columns.
They can split up quickly into units.
They work always in the same order
and with the same cars and tanks,
men and guns. Supplies are brought
up by floating columns of motor
transport which have nothing to
do with the combative columns.
Supply Lines Damaged.
Their lines of supplies seem to
be all right, though R. A. F. planes
have done lot of damage to them.
Their supplies up to Sidi Barrani
are slower than were the British
supplies previously carried on the
same routes. Their heavy Diesels
are more sluggish but they make
up for it by being more numerous.
Any Italian feelers sent out have
been a combination of offensive and
defensive tactics. 1t may sound abb
surd but Italy's needlepoint columns
are offensive units in a defensive
formation. They still do not sepa-
rate if attacked, but cling together
like Mother Hubbard's children.
They could learn a lot from the
British in the art of camouflage.
They use a lot of paint, but not
enough natural camouflage facilities
around them.
One persistent, unceasing death
dealer is the airplane; but this is in
transition, too. Its long policy of
bombing is striking fighting
weapon in the race for support
supremacy. Both sides are now
bombing sources rather than sup
plies. For this work the long range
bomber is taking the place of the
medium bomber.
Indefinite in Shape.
The recent Italian raids on
Bahrein Island in the Persian Gulf
and on the suburbs of Cairo, and
the British raids on Bangasi and
further afield, are part of this.
The longer the war continues here
the more this is likely to continue.
The war is becoming increasingly
indefinite in shape and abstract in
form AS the war goes on like this
the more will both sides be able to
continue 1.-THE British indefinitely,
the Italians not indefinitely. The
output to carry on the existing type
of war is negligible compared with
a real battle
1t is said that Italy is spending
1000 bombs to kill one British Tom
my. Perhaps that is so, but 1t does
not read that way back home. It
reads, Aircraft successfully at
tackled this place, that place and