Evening star., 1943-05-19

and when 1t s3ss|
comes.
This outfit Is
known as tho Mackenzie.
Combined Operations Command and
comprises men from all three fight
ing services-army, navy and air.
That branch probably best known
to the public Is the famous Com
mando outfit of men as tough as
they make 'em. The Commands
are the army end of combined
operations.
These experts will be as vital to
invasion as the scalpel is in surgery.
The landing in France Is likely to
be the most difficult and the most
costly in lives and equipment Of
anything Of the kind In history.
Success will depend on the estab-
lishment OF a bridge-head on tho
coast in the face Of terrific enemy
opposition-a bloody business. That
initial landing to open the way for
the Regular Army cannot be
haphazard affair.
Job for Specialists.
You can't just fling any ordinary
contingent up on the beach and
expect it to stick or even survive.
The seizing and holding Of that all
important bridge-head will be job
for great specialists-and they are
ready.
How many Of these chaps are
there? Well, that's a secret. Apart
from Britain, of course, America
also is producing Commands, and
other Allied troops are passing
through the combined operations
command. So far as concerns the
British force It's permissible to
answer in some such general terms
as I heard yesterday while chatting
with Hilary st. George Saunders,
the distinguished Briton who prob
ably knows more about them than
any other man.
Mr.. Saunders-a jovial and very
live Individuals their official his
torian and has just published the
story of the Commands under the
title of Combined Operations HE
says there are many thousands"
and since he is exceedingly careful
in his language we know that hs
is talking about lot of men.
The main business of Combined
operations-or let's just call them
Commandos-is amphibious warfare.
That means invasions, small or big,
and naturally calls for intensive
schooling in assault landings.
The Commands are purely shock
troops. Their job is to storm their
way ashore and establish that
bridge-head, which they hold until
the regulars can be landed and take
over, but they aren't for protracted,
holding operations.
Jack Of All War Trades.
1t follows that the Commando
must be a jack Of all war trades.
He must be not only soldier but a
bit of sailor and must know enough
about aerial affairs so he can CO.
operate with understandings. Most
of all he must have CUTS and
stamina. We don't need to 20 into
that here, for you ell have read Of
the really fierce preparation these
men endure
The Commands have been train
ing for long time, and have quietly
been raiding the continental coast
from Norway to Spain. These raids
have been partly to gain information
and wage a war of nerves against
the Boche, and partly to find out by
trail and error how to make these
attacks.
Biggest of all the raids was the
Dleppe affair, which turned out to
be so costly in lives. However COM
blned operations in this harsh adj
venture learned invaluable lessons
which will stand them in good stead
AAA oiiS AA1A " Noyo W
When 1t comes to real invasion
the first objective must be a port
for the use Of the following trans
port. You don't have to worry about
that on raid, for you expect to 20
back home. But with au-out in.
vasion you're going to stay ashore
you hope-and there must be a
place for the troops and supplies to
be put ashore.
Unity is the by-word on combined
operations. All branches plan to-
gether for any expedition and carry
out their task in closest co-opera-
ton. That word unity" by tho
way, Is pretty nearly synonymous
with victory. It's what won Tunisia.
and it's what will win the war.