Evening star., 1942-11-13
Says ItoIion Fleet
May Reuppeor
Military Writer Discusses
Axis Need for Naval Aid
To RommeI in libyo

By Maj. George Fielding Eliot.
There are increasing signs that Hitler
may have decided seriously to contest
the mastery Of the central Mediterra-
mean with the United Nations forces now
converging upon that region. If he does
so, he cannot afford to send boy to do
mans work or he will be quickly and
decisively beaten. He must move in force,
and for practical purposes that means he
must begin by concentrating the greater
| part Of the striking power of the Luft-
waite in Southern France, Italy, Sar-
dina and Sicily, while attempting to
build up his new foothold in Tunis and
to support Marshal Erwin Rommels
shattered forces in Libya. Movements OF
re1nforcements by sea will have to be
covered by his air force, and II these
| movements are to be at all extensive it
WILL be necessary for him to begin by
reSuming his round-the clock air attacks
on Malta, which have proved so costly to
him in the past.
1t does not, however, seem likely that
In the long run air operations alone can
serve his purposes. 1t is most improbable
that he can build up sufficient reserves
OF fuel IN Africa to enable close support
TO be given to Rommel, nor can he make
headWay against Gen. Dwight D. Eisen-
hoWer's armored divisions by means of
ar-borne forces alone. 1t boils down to
this: He must Use sea transport or be
driven out of Africa in the end.
Not very much has been heard latelv
OF the Italian Navy. Claims have been
made that the new battleships Impero
and Roma are In commission. The bat
tleshlps damaged at laramie and in
other actions have probably been re-
paired, with the exception of the Cavour.
Italy may, therefore, have as many as
seven oattleships now ready, together
with 10 to IL cruisers (almost all 6-inch-
gun cruisers, perhaps go destroyers and
! torpedo boats and as many submarines.
In addition to these, there were under
construction at the beginning OF the war
IL small cruisers Of $500 tons which were
intended as answers to the French
"superdestroyers
Nothing has been heard OF these ships
| since the war began; they may or NAV
not be completed But the very fact that
| the italian Navy has been more or less
out OF the picture recently suggests that
1t may have been undergoing a very
thorough reorganization, perhaps with a
great deal OF German Assistance" In
| some earlier actions, small numbers of
German personnel were found to be
serving IN Italian ships. This proportion
may have been greatly increased, There
Is, therefore, distinct possibility that
the Italian Navy may now reappear and
may prove more formidable force than
| heretofore
The French fleet remains an unknown
| quantity as to its condition and as to
which side eventually will obtain DOS
session of it.
1t is, however, an absolute certainty
that the United Nations have taken full
| account OF its naval possibilities and that
they have concentrated sufficient naval
power in the Mediterranean to meet any
eventuality and to give full protection to
their armies and air forces in North AZ
| rica. We may derive added assurance on
| this score from the fact that the ablest
and most successful naval commander
| OF this war, Admiral Sir Andrew Browne
| Cunningham, r. N, commands the
| Anglo-American naval forces in the
Mediterranean.
The United Nations have very strong
Air forces in the Middle East, and it may
be presumed that a powerful air COM
mand will be built up rapidly in French
North Africa. 1t seems likely that the
| Germans can, from their admirable sys-
tenn OF air bases in Italy, Sicily and
Sardinia, bring to bear very strong air
power against us. This, as already stated,
| is their best bet, but in Africa itself they
seem likely to remain inferior In the air.
| AS to ground forces, the four German
divisions under Marshal Rommels COM
mand have been very harshly dealt with
and probably have been reduced to mere
remnants Some requirements may be
made available for them by air trans
port, but they have lost most of their
| guns. tanks and equipment. The Italian
force in Libya and Egypt probably
amounted to is or II divisions OF these.
still with Rommel, but at least six, and
| probably eight, of the infantry divisions
nave been broken up. The rest-say 10
infantry divisions at considerably re-
duced strength-are scattered along the
coast from Tobruk all the way to Tripoli,
| at which latter place there is probably
considerable Italian concentration. The
nghtlng quality of these Italian troops,
especially in view of Rommels defeat.
seems open to doubt.
The Vichy French forces in Morocco
and Algeria are out of the picture.
Eventually French army seems Nkely
to join the forces of the United Nations.
made up partly of these elements. The
present situation of the French forces
in Tunisia is for the moment as great a
mystery as that of the French feet,
The normal garrison of Tunisia includes
six regiments of infantry Zone of Euro
pean Frenchmen, two of Tunisian ma
tives and three of Senegalese), three
regiments of cavalry Gncluding the For
eign Legion cavalry regiment, two regi-
ments OF artillery. two battalions of
tanks and a battalion of engineers.
There are no indications that these
troops have offered any resistance to the
Germans and Italians or in fact have
done anything at all, one way or the
other.
But we seem assured Of superiority