Evening star., 1940-09-19
By MAI. GEORGE FIELDING
ELIOT


Sidi Barrani, some so miles into
Egyp' from the frontier post of Sol
lum, should not be regarded as any
thing save mild preliminary in
the problem still facing the legions
of Marshal Graziani.
AS many a British soldier knows
to his bitter cost, and as that tough
old desert fighter Rodolfo GraZiani
knows quite as well, the principal
difficulty is that of water supply.
Let us take the next stage of the
presumed Italian advance as an ex-
ample From Sollum to Sidi Bar
rani, there are eight wells of rea-
sonable reliability at this season of
the year; there are two other wells
close to Sidi Barrani; there is an
other about 30 miles east on the
road to the British base and rail-
head at Mersa Matruh; for the re-
so miles to Mersa Matruh,
there is not a single we'll save a few
water holes of very uncertain char
acter, and two wells which are
right on the seacoaSt and therefore
hardly available to the Italians. In
other words, the going has been
fairly easy so far; from now on it
becomes tremendously difficult.
1t is one thing to push boldly
forward a short distance with small
motorized forces carrying their
water with them, and moving
through a country we'll supplied with
wells; it is quite another to advance
with larger forces against lncreas-
ing resistance through an absolutely
barren and pitiless desert. with the
problem of water supply growing
worse every mile that is gained and
with enemy aircraft and naval ves-
sells banging away at the line OF
communications.
Road Won't Be Easy.
There is a motor road from Sol
lum to Mersa Matruh, where the
railway to Alexandria begins. This
road is never more than 10 miles
from the sea; over about hall the
distance from Sidi Barranl to
Mersa Matruh. it is miles or less.
1t is partially. but not wholly,
shielded from maritime observation
by land dunes: however, its location
is perfectly well known. and 1t can
not escape air observation by day
and by night Sir Andrew Cunning
ham, the enterprising and vigorous
officer who commands the British
Mediterranean fleet. has two air
craft carriers at his disposal besides
having the assistance of the Royal
Air Force. 1t is therefore not TO be
supposed that an advance along this
road will be easy, or that, once the
Italians attempt to move forward
in force. they will not suffer severe
and perhaps decisive casualties from
naval fire.
They may, of course, leave the
road and try to proceed cross
country-but here it may be instruc-
tive to quote from Three Deserts" :"
by Mai. C. S. Jarvis, who writes OF
cross-country motor movement In
the Libyan Desert as follows:
The dunes were mostly Of the
shape witt. a rounded
formation On the north side
and an almost sheer drop on the
other, and each dune was linked to
those in front and behind by sharp
knife edges of blown sand. 1t was
found that in places the wind had
packed the sand hard and that
occasionally a dune would be solid
enough for Ford to take it in a rush
and switchback over to the other
side, but before doing this it was nee
eSsary to walk over the dune and
test it, as there were disconcerting
and treacherous patches of bottom
less powder into which car would
fall as if it had run into a pool of
water. - Personally, have no
wish to see this desert again"
Graziani Knows Terrain.
The point is that if the Italians
wish to gain any really worthwhile
success they are going to have to
put in large forces and fight hard;
the larger the forces aud the harder
the fighting, the more difficult be-
their problem OF water supply
and communications in general. 1t
is impossible to suppose that if this
is in fact, as it appears to be,
really vigorous attack on Egypt, all
these difficulties have not in some
fashion been discounted in advance.
Graziana knows the terrain: he will
be under no illusions as to the char
acter of the opposition he will en-
counter, human and natural.
Upon what. then, are the Italians