Imperial Valley press., 1943-01-29
BY PHI. AULT

! ALI I'D MONT II a T. II | I a IN
HEADQUARTERS. Jan. 28-tDE-
LAYED)-UP>-W With the Eighth
Army at the Tunisian border and
the Allied force under LIT. Gen.
EWight Eisenhower poised along a
80 mile frCnt, the Gay is nearing
for shoWGCWn
Plans for 4 coordinated attack by
the British Eighth Army and the
Allied iorcCS in North Africa to
drive the remnants Of the Axis
armies from African soil were ccn-
cludCd AT Il recent meeting OF
Gems. Eisenhower and Sir E:rold
|. G. Alexander, commander IN
chief of the Middle EaSt, at these
headquarters.
How and Wher the Allies will
throw their punch is military see
ret, but there is every reason to be-
lieve that when they strike, they
will strike very hard.
GROUNDWORK LAID
The policy for the last six weeks
appears to have been 10 prepare
for major blow strong enough to
do the job decisiyely, rather than
risk an unpreparcd offensive thai
might fail While there has been
curiosity in the rest c. the WoT.,'
as to why the Allies have not yet
struck. correspondents VINO nave
been at the front can testify that
q great deal OF preparatory work
has been done.
This work of hauling up supplies
and replacing troops does not show
Up in the comparatively minor
fighting that has occurred during
The past three weeks but this Work
Will BE apparent when the ci6
campaign begins.
It was considered significant that
the top-r2ukir2 American and Bri-
tish army ard navy officers tcok
time to fly over from Casablanca
to continue their discussions at
Eisenhower headquarters. Un-
doubtedly topics much more far
reaching than the TuniSian camp
aien were considered, because 1t
seems probable that the Allied
grand strategy for 1o43 is based up
on North Africa.
MAY GO FARTHER
Once the trap is sprung, and the
Allied armies closing from two
directions finally push the Ger
mans and italians off the contin-
ent, the impetus of the attack
might be carried on beyond African
shores.
There is certain to be large
amount of confusion in any such
withdrawal as Marshal Erwin Rom
mel ard Col Jurgen Von Arnim
would be forced TO make across the
| Mediterranean, and the Allies
might seize the opportunity to jump
across tbs Sicily or Sardinia.
4 vell-infOrmed observer who
! has worked in Russia with the Soy
let army, commented thai unless
the Allies nave the Tunisian camp
aiRn cleaned up by March |, tht
effect miCht be felt very unfaVor-
ably in Russia By next summer.
SQUEEZE ON HITLER
II Africa is cleaned up soon ant
Hitler is forced to throw all posi-
bic SlYenSth into Southern Europe
/ INC Russians might be able TO Goa
tinue their offensive into the sum.
mcr, but if this campaign dra9S O
to- ions, The Germans might still
b. able TO concentrate on the Rus
sian front. There cannot be al
Allied attack ON the continent a
long as there is an axis force II
Africa to threaten the flank.
The success of R9mmcl5 with
drawl into 1uuiSia depends largel,
tipGn The single coast road owe
which his entire force must travel
B0TTLENECk
II this road is wrecked, or ser
;ously damaged, his army will b
endangered. any aerial bomb
aIdments or hit and run raids oil
some Of the vulnerable spots alon
The road could inflict great dam
age. even if the Allies decided no
tc send a heavy force through t
the coast
The thinnest bottleneck through
which Rommels army must pass
lust north of Gabes, where a Ion
1,-,o &c ,,,oJchoc ,Iin,oi11U