Evening star., 1943-08-26

the separate command decision was
one. of the major products of the
Washington strategy conferences
between the President and Prime
Minister shortly before the an
nouncement.
London newspapers greeted the
announcement of Lord Mountbat-
tens appointment with big head
lines, such as Lord Louis Will Lead
Offensive on Japs" and Eisenhower
OF East VIII Lead Attack on Japan"
Rejecting the popular interpreta-
ton placed on the appointment was
the view expressed by Brig. Gen.
Horace Sewell, military expert of
the British Information Service with
headquarters in New York, who said
Lord Mountbatten's first task prob
ably would be a combined operation
in Burma.
First Step in Campaign.
THE first step of the campaign"
ne wrote, must be the obtaining of
complete control of the Bay of
Bengal--a major naval undertaking
which will probably involve the re-
occupation of the Andaman Islands
Once naval supremacy in the
Bay of Bengal has been achieved,
the way will be open fora descent
on the Burma coast from the south
and west. This attack will probably
be combined with extensive guer-
rilla-type warfare in the hills sepa-
rating Assam from Upper Burma"
Until he was named to the COM
hined operations post. Lord Louis
was in the thick of the sea war.
His wife once remarked that "if my
husband had not been good
swimmer he would not have been
chief of combined operations to-
day."
While with combined operations
Monty was aptly described as the
man with the Nelson touch" He
gained his reputation in the Saint
Nazaire and Dieppe raids.
Known as Monty"
The high-born Lord Mountbatten
already is on the way to becoming
a legendary figure in Great Britain
where he is universally known as
Monty He is regarded with
equal warmth by American officers,
who have known him for years, and
are accustomed to describing him as
"a good fellow and much like we
Americans"
His determination to atone for
the removal of his father, Prince
Louis of Battenberg, as admiral of
the fleet, is believed by some friends
to have provided the impetus push
ing him to the top of British mill
tary circles at such an early age.
Prince Louis commanded the
British fleet at the outbreak of the
World War. He was a naturalized
British citizen and cousin of Kine
George v. But public clamor about
his Austrian birth and titles forced
his. removal. He relinquished hi:
Austrian title, changed his name
(Mountbatten is translation O
Battenberg) and subsequently wa.
raised to the British peerage a.
Marques of Milford Haven.
Breath Taking Adventures.
A succession of brea tn taking ad
ventures in the navy, in which h,
commanded destroyer fotilla a
the time he became chief of com
blned operations, has added to hi
fame.
At the start of the war his shin
the destroyer Kelly, was twice badl,
damaged, once by mine and ono,
by torpedo, but Lord Mountbattel
brought her in both times. HI
transferred to the Javelin and hi
new command received two tor
pedo hits in a night action agains
German destroyers. Back again h,
went to his old ship, the recommis
stoned Kelly. The Kelly finally wen
down-in the battle of Crete on MAJ
%, 1941.
Because the tough Monty" is the
type who likes to take a pistol in
hand and lead his forces when the
going is hardest, those who know
him best look for spectacular opera
tions when the autumn stab at the
Japanese gets under way.
At 43, Lord Mountbatten is 10 year
younger than Gen. Eisenhower anc
20 years the junior of Gen. Mac.
Arthur.