The daily monitor leader. [volume] (Mount Clemens, Mich.) 1942-19??, 1942-11-05
BY DEWITT MACKENZIE


LONDON, Nov. 5-The Al
lied triumph in Egypt gives
strong hope that we are witness
sing the beginning of the not
far distant end to Hitler's hold
on north Africa.
The Nazi all-highest also Is
having visions Of disaster for
Berlin claims q remarkable
concentration" of British war
ships and transports at Gibral-
tar.
The Vichy government Is re-
ported to be holding conferences
about north Africa and from
Rear Admiral Luetzow of the
German naval staff we get this:
"Casablanca, on French Mo-
rocco's west coast, il q danger
spot far overshadowing Daka.
Africa swarms with United
States agents whose gaze turns
to Casablanca."
HITLER WORRIES
Is Hitler conjuring up bug
bears to torture his sleep? He
will know in due course and 20
shall we. Meantime, it is a most
comfortable feeling to see him
worry.
We must temper our natural
optimism with caution because
there is hard and bitter work to
be done before the Axis armies
are annihilated. That is the task
before us-the destruction OF
Hitler's fighting machine in all
northern Africa.
Once before we had our
dreams when Wavell drove de-
feated enemy columns far to the
westward across the desert.
But the Axis still was strong
then and the Allies weak. In
deed, just at the crucial NOM
ent, Wavell had to rush troops
off to the defense of Greece,
thereby depriving him Of
chance to follow up his victory.
Now, however, the Hitlerites
are weaker and the Allies much
stronger. The Nazi chief and his
minions are on the down grade.
Certainly the forces under
Gen. Sir Harold Alexander must
be jubilant as they pursue and
hammer what a British COM
munique described as the dis
ordered columns" of the enemy
When you talk about disorder
ed columns" in retreat you are
talking about q "rout", which is
one of the greatest disasters that
can befall an army.
CASUALTIES HEAVY
Axis casualties already have
been heavy. These must be
climbing rapidly as the she'll
shocked German and Italian SOL
diers retreat across the blazing
sands which themselves greedi-
ly soak up the lives of those who
falter or are wounded.
Enemy losses in material al
so have been mountainous and
probably the heaviest individual
blow dealt Hitler has been In
the destruction of tanks. AS
pointed out yesterday, these
racing fortresses have been the
backbone of Rommels striking
power.
The Nazi marshal was estima-
ted to have 500 tanks when the
offensive started. Now the Bri-
fish communique tells us that
$50 of these have been destroy
ed.
This would mean that more
than half of the Axis tanks in
the field have been wiped out
Many more must be falling by
the wayside as American and
British airmen continue their
devasting hail of bombs op
struggling lines along the edge
of the great military highway
which skirts the Mediterranean
800 PLANES DESTROYED
The communique also records
that 800 Axis planes have been
destroyed or damaged in the all
and like number on the
ground. Many of the damaged
planes will, of course, have to
be abandoned as the Axis forces
retres.
This probably means that q
minimum of half of Rommels
air fleet has been destroyed. The
likelihood is that the figure Is
nearer three-quarters.
That is a colossal blow, espec-
tally since the Anglo-American
aerial fleet already had super.