Evening star., 1943-11-16
Aegean Islands
Worth Fighting For
By Maj. George Fielding Eliot.

BY MAJ. George Fielding Eliot.
The German attack on the Island of
Leros, In the Aegean Sea, is another
episode in the rather mysterious little
campaign which has been going on, with
the Aegean Islands as the bone Of con-
tention. ever since the British forces
made their airborne landings on Cos,
Leros and. Samos-and perhaps other
islands as well-at about the time of the
surrender Of Italy. The exact dates are
as yet unknown.
This Aegean fighting is taking place
inside . German-held island barrier,
formed by the strongholds OF Crete,
Scarpantia and Rhodes Here German
air power and light naval craft are
strongly based, cutting of any direct
access by sea to the islands inside the
barrier. The British took over at least
the three islands above mentioned by
airborne operations, possibly assisted by
the Italian garrisons. 1t seems likely, that
no great force Of German troops was
present on any of them at the time the
co-operated with the British to subdue
what few Germans there may have been.
The Germans on the larger bases
reacted promptly against Cos, which
they recovered, after sharp fighting, by
means OF an amphibious expedition. Now
Leros Is under attack, with the British
resistance apparently somewhat stronger.
This probably is due to the additional
time which has been available for i'm
proving the defenses and the airfields.
and for sending in additional airborne
troops and equipment. The Italian gar
rison is reported as standing up we'll"
alongside the British in fighting the Ger
man assailants. 1t is, however, appar-
ent that outer barrier is sufficiently
strong to protect these German island
hoppers against interference by British
naval forces. This fact must have been
known at the time when the airborns
attacks were first launched; it must have
been realized at Cairo that the small
forces thus flown into the Aegean would
be subjected to heavy German counter
operations, and that the Germans would
be able to act against the British-held
Islands IN succession, one by one, and in
superior force. 1t may, therefore, be
asked what 1t was hoped to gain by the
operation-which must necessarily ex-
pose considerable numbers of highly
trained troops to risks Of the gravest
character.
It Is possible that diversion was in
tended, and that full-scale attack on
Crete was to follow, but was subse-
quently abandoned due to some change
In the situation. 1t is possible that the
impression on Turkey was the idea be-
hind the Aegean move; in which case it
seems to be likely to act in the reverse
direction, unless the Turks themselves
now allow the use Of their bases to the
Allied air forces-which might turn the
tables on the Germans In the Aegean.
But 1t Is more likely that the whole
affair is just part Of widespread cam
paign to keep the Germans busy, that
1t was considered worth while to take
long chances in order to give the Ger
mans no rest in this part Of the world
and to put an added strain on the al
ready overstrained Luftwaffe.
One difficulty with this idea is that If
the Germans retake Leros. they will
have another little victory to chalk up
to their credit. They badly need even
little victories just now, at a moment
when their home morale is at low ebb
and their credit with their Balkan allies
Is sinking rapidly. Even small
demonstration that Germany can still hit
back Is Of some use to the German
propaganda machine. That is why 1t
seems likely that the Allies will now
make considerable effort to prevent
the recapture Of Leros, either by in
tensifying their air operations, or per-
haps-n the forces and especially the
shipping are available for the purpose
by An assault on Rhodes, which would
give the Germans in the Aegean some
thing to think about besides attacking
the Allied troops on Leros. 1t is also
quite possible that the heavy Allied air
attack on the Bulgarian capital Sofia, is
intended to show the Bulgars that If
Germany can hit hard in the Aegean,
the Allies also can hit hard right in the
heart Of the Balkans.
The possession Of the Aegean Islands
is prize worth lighting for. They are
the keys to the Dardaneles, and there
seems no reason to doubt that If the
Allies can blast their way through these
island strngholds, the Turks will al
low Allied shipping to use the Darda-
neles, thus giving us short route to
Russia and opening up possibilities of
close cooperation with Russian forces
which are denied US as long as this route
remains closed.