Detroit evening times. (Detroit, Mich) 1921-1958, 1941-11-24
British Usinq
100000 Men
In Libya War
Victory Could Mean Start
Of Hitler S Defeat
BY PAUL MALLON

WASHINGTON. Nov. 24.-The
w British have 100000 men in
the Libyan drive-twice as many
as advertised. In tanks, planes
and other equipment as we'll as
HaeH,1 they greatly outnumbered
their German Italian adver-
Saries. The weight in their IA
vor is far more than the nearly
evenly matched" basis Churchill
proclaimed.
Their objective is supposed to
be limited TO smashing the
African-AXis army Then they
are TO switch their forces over
10 the Caucasus TO meet Hitler
lin the private and we'll adj
vised official military opinion
here
But armies seldom let even
their friends know their real
purpose. If this powerful Brit
iSh force plunges VIGOROUSLY
over the Nazi-Italians TO the
borders of Tunisia and launches
an invasion into Italy the cur
rent drive could we'll turn out
to be the beginning of the end
Of the war.
THE roads beyond Bengazi TO
l. the TuniSian frontier were so
bad as 10 discourage Waveii
from going on in =his=6rstdriyes
In Tripoli and Tunisia, the
British Will find air and sea
bases from which they could OPP
crate to destroy the trapped
Italian fleet. With British con-
troll of the air and sea, an -inva-
sion of Italy should not be
difficult.
Hitler's planes and tanks can
not be spared from Russia and
France in formidable quantities.
Every Italian port could be Sub-
jected to Smelling by the British
fleet and bombing from the air
10 prepare the way up the boot
for a landing force.
None too secretly. the British
have been preparing for a year
special invasion landing unit of
30, 900 men Some suspicion ex-
lists that these may even now be
on their way 10 Tripoli TO cut off
from the rear the AXis-Eibyan
army ==
TlIE driving British force is
l. composed of four or five
columns made up of six or seven
divisions. each operating under
clever strategic plan. The
heaviest units are at the south
ern end of the 130- mile line
which was designed to fail-like
a top-heavy hammer with its
head upon the Gulf of Sidra.
combining the Axis armies within
its limits.
This is a sensational and risky
venture, but it had every chance
of success in view of superior
man-power and equipment.
Within this big hammer, the
other British columns are oper-
ating as at least two small
hammers upon each defended
stronghold along the Cyrenaican
coast. Each of these little ham,
merS was TO drop from the south
ern desert in behind each coastal
stronghold and entrap the Axis
strongholdS one by one.
Churchill's announcement that
the objective is merely TO de
stroy the enemy and not 10
acquire territory has encour-
aged those who believe the Brit
ish will fail to go through
TuniSia.
1t is true the only Immediately
important military detectives
are east Of the Sidran Gulf.
Derna is the main Italian port in
Northern Africa. Bengazi is the
main Axis fertilization. Also a
somewhat difficult problem of
supply from Egypt might develop
If the troops continue on west
OF these points.
But a smash through 10 Tripoli
would give the British indisput-
able control OF the Mediterran-
can, relieve besieged Malta and
relax pressure on Gibraltor.
\ T LEAST Hitler suspects the
"A drive will not stop. His
pressure for the removal Of
Weygand showed that publicly.
More quietly. he has been trying
10 dispatch one Of his toughest
generals 10 Bizerte TO organize
some form of armed resistance
to meet the British if they
come.
He is also marshalling subs
in the Mediterranean. One Off
cial report indicates the Brit
iSh have sunk the unbelievable
total of 40 per cent Of Italian
supplies destined for Africa in
recent months.
People here did not like those
first British reports that much
OF our equipment sent 10 Egypt
was being held in reserve. Our
P-40 was adopted by the Brit
ish as the standard plane for the
Libyan campaign.
The Spitfire is still the
standard in England: the Brit