Evening star., 1943-03-31
RommeI Runs the GuntIet

NOlslIuiSl NUTS tUS 0ONIIeI
The battle for Southern Tunisia
has resolved itself into an immense
'"Tallyho!" with Marshal Rommel
living up to his nickname, "the
desert fox" seeking to escape con-
verging enemies.
It is about two weeks ago that
clearing skies dried the rain-soaked
terrain sufficiently to permit General
Montgomery and his British Eighth
Army to launch the big offensive on
the Mareth Line for which he had
long been amassing munitions and
supplies. Better weather likewise
made possible a systematic air bonn
bardment, not only of tho Axis bat
tie positions but roads and airfields
lar behind the Axis lines. This was
the same technique which had pre-
ceded the victory at Ell Alamein. The
Mareth Line was probably a harder
nut to crack in itself, but it had the
disadvantage of being outhankable
around It's southern end. The opera
tion was not an easy one. It neces-
STATED wide sweep through rough
sem1-desert country by light forces
which might be cut off in turn by
counterthrust from Rommel out of
his Mareth citadel. Such an Axis
move would largely depend upon the
strength with which the Mareth Line
was being held. If Rommel was
merely flghting a covering action to
gain time for retreat of his main
body, his remaining troops in the
Mareth belt could do little more than
hold of British frontal assaults.
At any rate, Montgomery took tho
gamble, and his flank march was
brilliantly successful, reaching
point north Of the Mareth Line and
menacing the port OF Gabes, ROM
mels main supply base In his imms-
diate rear. This brought 4 speedy
fall of the Mareth positions, with
Rommel evacuating them except for
suicide squads left to gain time.
Indeed. he pulled out of Gabes also,
which the British now occupy. The
Axis may make stand at the bottle
neck just north Of Gabes, where
chain OF impossible salt marshes
reaches to within sixteen miles of
the coast. But this can hardly be
more than another delaying action,
because General Patton's Americans
are threatening the Axis line of re-
treat at two points still farther to
tho northward.
Assuming that Rommel gets the
bulk Of his army out of the narrow
ing corridor Of Southern Tunisia,
the next question is where he can
stop and dig in for a genuine de-
tense. In Central Tunisia the Axis
still controls belt Of territory some
eighty miles wide, but north Of that
again mixed American, French and
British forces are exerting heavy
pressure and have advanced at some
points to within forty miles of the
coast. 1t may be that Rommel will
abandon Central Tunisia and take
position on line running from the
sacred city OF Kairouan to the port
Of Sousse. Here he would be in close
touch with the northern Axis army
under General Won Arnim, concen-
trated In the Tunis-BiZerte triangle.
But that would mean the compress
sion OF the Axis forces into 80 small
a territory that open maneuvering,
which is Rommels long suit, would
become impossible.
Once Rommel and Won Arnim have
been squeezed together on Tunisia's
northeastern tip, the campaign
changes character and becomes q
glorified siege by the united Allied
armies. Already the British Eighth
Army is on the verge Of a junction
with their American comrades. ROM
mel has thereby lost the strategic
central position which he hitherto
occupied This will not only make
united Allied military action possible,
but will also greatly simplify the
supply problem. The British Eighth
Army will no longer be dependent on
the enormously long communication
line from Egypt, which has slowed
down its efforts.
It is too soon to say that the end
of the Tunisian campaign is in sight.
The Axis armies there are pledged to
last-ditch defense and probably
will fight stoutly to the finish. But
their finish seems merely 4 matter of
time.
Doctors Dilemma