The Wilmington morning star., 1942-11-17
Interpreting
The War
By KIRKE L. SIMPSON
wide World War AnaIvs,,

The peril of the Axis armv j.
Africa is real and imminent Tba
consequences for Hitler if If !.
quickly and completely liquidataS
are too grave to assume that ~
is resigned to the defensive for
the wars duration. Some bold i.
risky Nazi attempt at a miljtarT
action must be in the makino
The authors Of the North Afr
can nut-cracker attack, Mr.. Rooro
welt and Mr.. Churchill, make Il
clear they expect vigorous enemv
reaction. They do not believe HI.
lerism is yet cracking up or lacks
the power to strike back. The Axis
still enjoys inestimable advan
tages. 1t has single command
and seasoned staff to execute
as it has before, miracles of mill
tary logistics. 1t has inside com.
munication lines, vulnerable only
to long distance Allied air attacl
There is some indication that ir
Nazi war books the Axis-Allied bat.
tie now joined in Tunisia is mi.
marily a sacrifice affair, delav.
ing operation. Whether to permit
Rommel to find short line for
a stand or to salvage his shat.
tered corps by sea evacuation il
seems vital that the western ! aw
of the Allied nut-cracker be slowed
up.
The chances are all against nro.
longed successful resistance by the
Axis in Tunisia. Whatever their
number, Axis troops there must
lack the heavy fighting equipment
of their Anglo-American assailants
Hundreds of miles still cape he.
tween the British pursuit of Rom.
mel from the east, now rounding
or bypassing the Libyan hump
and Eisenhower's advance guard
in Tunisia. That they ultimately
will meet seems foreordained un.
less Hitler moves drasticaIly
than he yet has to avert it. And
his chance of ferrying a huge
army to Africa does not seem
good. There are plain signs Of an
Allied submarine screen in the
Central Mediterranean to supple.
ment 1and-based planes from Nal.
ia, Algiers. and soon from Tunisia
and Benghasi which are deadly
menace to sea movement.
The Hitler alternative would be
a diversion attack somewhere else
to halt or draw off either or both
of the Allied nutcracker forces.
Conjecture disnisses the Russian
front Or a stepped-up air attack
on England as apt to have that
effect. That seems to leave only
Turkey and Spain as possible Axis
diversion theaters.
Both would involve heavy risks.
Even if Turkey did not fight back
and there is now every reason.
able assurance that she would
vast extension of front and com.
munication lines would confront
the Germans and their allies. Axis
forces in Russia and the west
would have to be further and dan.
gerously thinned. There is no as.
surance ar attack on Turkey could
| halt the Allied African nut-cracker
short of clearing North Africa Of
the foe.
Spain would be easier but less
threatening to the Allies, although
air and submarine bases on the
Spanish Atlantic coast could be
grave new threat to Anglo-Ameri'
can sea communications. An at
tempted Nazi occupation of Span
ish Morocco in the rear of Elsen'
hower's armies to divert his end
of the nut-cracker might be H.
cluded.
The only certain thing is that
Hitler must move somewhere and
soon or sit down to stand serge
on the continent and admit he has
shot his offensive bolt.