Detroit evening times. (Detroit, Mich) 1921-1958, 1942-11-15
The War
Today
Allies Race
For 'Tunisia
Gibraltar
BY LOUIS +. kEEhi-E
a, tina United Press War Desk.

ur Ao
OF thu United Press War Desk
ALLIED SUCCESS in North
Africa and Prime Minister
Winston Churchill's renewed
threat Of a European invasion
across the channel or the
North Sea raises the possi-
bility that Adolf Hitler may
have 10 withdraw from Russia
TO save himself in Europe.
He is already reported to
Rave drawn heavily on his
land and air forces in Russia,
but the continued fighting in
Stalingrad and the Caucasus
does not indicate he has
reached any decision to follow
in Napoleons footsteps,
However, the potentislities
of a complete Allied victory
in the Mediterranean are SO
great that anything may hap
pen. Marshal Erwin Rommels
army 10 IN such a trap that 1t
may al we'll be written off,
There remains only Tunisia
TO be taken care of. The Brit
ish and American armies are
closing In on the French pro-
tecterats In great force and
there seems little chance that
II can be kept out of their
hands.
THE DESTRUCTION of
Rommel and the occupation of
Tunisia would put the Allies
in control of all North Africa.
With the possession of Bizerte,
the great French naval base
in Tunisia, the Allies would
present an invasion threat to
Italy which Hitler could not
ignore.
Bizerte Is q valuable prize
and of prime Importance to a
southern invasion Of Europe.
II Ia described by Renolds and
Eleanor Packard, heads OF the
United Press bureau In Rome
until the United States en-
tered the war, in their new
book on Italy, Balcony En-
pire." Telling Of visit to
Bizerte. they wrote:
cit was rightly called the
sTunislan Gibraltar Ii was
less than $50 miles from
ItaIy's big fortified island OF
Sardinia, on the northwest,
and Sicily, on the northeast.
"Rome was only $50 miles
away >. second only to
Toulon Mt the time as q
French naval base, II had dry
docks, machine and repair
shops, underground cisterns
for fuel, blown out of the rock
and safe against naval and
aerial bombardments, coallng
facilities, arsenals, barracks
and q hospital, all protected
BY vast Notifications.
CIT WAS large enough to
hold ell the fleets of con-
tincntal Europe. There was
even O lake, well stocked with
edible fish, TO say nothing OF
q productive hlnterland which
could be called upon for the
necessary food supplies.
Elm this way 1t was even
superior TO Gibraltar, which
has always had TO import all
its supplies.
I'VE also saw q big sea
plane port and an airfield, As
well ~ q special dock for
submarines. Nature has taken
. hand in making II weli-nlgh
invincible."
THE FOREGOING sounds
like O place that the Germans
could easily hold against at
tack from the sea, II they got
there first with enough men.
The land defenses of Bizerte,
however, are on the Libyan
border and they are pointed
at Italian Libya.
called the Berthome Line,
these defenses are said 10 be
even stronger than the Magi-
not Line.
However, the Allies can
move in behind this line, oc-
cupying Bizerte from the land
ward side, just as the Japa-
nese did at Singapore.
Thus II may soon become
apparent that the African
campaign Is the beginning of
N the real Ercnnd- front which