Evening star., 1943-02-17
Desert Fox Seen Tryino
To Defeat Foes SinqIy
Maj. Eliot Believes RommeI
Moy Seek to Knock Out
u. S. Forces First

By Maj. George Fielding Eliot.
The expected has happened in Tu-
nisia. Marshal Rommel has left his in
fsntry and part Of his guns to hold back
the British 6th Army at the Mareth Line,
| and with his armored and mobile ele-
ments has turned, behind this shield. to
strike at the American forces in Central
TuniSia.
He has scored initial successes, and
this. too. was to be expected His troops
are not only veteran soldiers. they are
veterans of desert warfare. They know
all the tricks Of that exaCting trade
They have paid for their education in
the same coin in which our gallant lads
must now pay for theirs-blood.
1t was undoubtedly just this situation
which War Secretary Stimson had in
mind when he warned, at recent press
conference, that we must expect heavy
casualties soon in Tunisia. The Secre-
tary is himself an old soldier. He COM
| manded raw troops pitted against Ger
man veterans in the World War. He
knows well what American valor, Ameri-
can resourcefulness and the unquench-
| able American spirit can do on the bat
| tlefeld; but he also knows that our
| young soldiers must pay a disproportion-
| ate cost in lives in their first encounters
| with the experienced warriors of the
| enemy.
We must understand this, and make
| allowances for it. We must be prepared
| for reVerSeS and for long casualty lists.
| We must get over the idea that this war
| is going to be won, somehow, by sort
| OF mechanical miracle of American pro-
| duction and American ingenuity. These
| things are important, but in the end we
| shall attain victory chiefly at the price
| of blood, sweat and tears.
| AS for the immediate situation in Tu-
niSia, it is largely matter of timing
| Rommeps objective is probably not so
| much to widen his corridor of retreat
| along the coast as it is to do as much
damage as possible to our armored troops
| and to our communications.
AS with all good soldiers, RommeIs
basic idea is not to take this or that
| geographical point, but to destroy or
neutralze the troops of his opponent.
| In the present instance, he has a most
| eXacting time limit within which he
must do this. He is gambling on his
| ability to put our armored forces in
Central Tunisia out of action before the
veteran British 9th Army can break
| through the Mareth Line into the open
desert north of Gabes and the salt lakes.
The 9th Army is the one experienced
desert command at the disposal of the
| Allies in North Africa Except the French,
who are poorly equipped at PRESENT.. 1t
| Is superior to Rommel in numbers, both
| OF men and of machines. Once it is past
| the Notifications of the Mareth Line,
and has forced the narrow gap at Gabes.
| between the salt lakes and the sea, it
| will be free to make contact with the
| Americans, and Rommel will be caught
| between the two armies. He is therefore
| pmnlng his hopes on his chance of
smashing the Americans before the 9th
Army can come to their support 1t is
| calculated risk, forced on him bN cir
| cumstances, and he will do his best to
turn those circumstances to his ar
| vantage.
II he can throw the American forces
| back with such heavy losses that they
| cannot Immediately resume their pres
sure on his flank, he will then be free to
| deal with the 9th Army in its turn, and
| Will nave far better chance of prolong-
ing his tenure of the Mareth positions
and the east coast ports. Eventually he
| Will have to give them up, as he we'll
knows, but We must never forget that in
| Tunis1a the Germans are playing chiefly
| for time. The longer they can keep us
nghtlng in Africa, the longer it will be
before we can develop offensive OPERA
| tions elsewhere
Ihe German high command no longer
| expects to win this war. Their one re-
| naming hope is to wear us down to pro-
long the agony until for very WEAKNESS
we give them a peace which will enable
them to retain the nucleus of power es-
sential to comeback later on.
We can depend on Gen. Sir Bernard
| Montgomery and his 9th Army to meas
| ure up fully to the responsibility thus
| laid upon them. They have already
taken Ben Gardane which is the eastern
anchor of the outpost zone of the Mareth
Line, the western being Foum Tatouhine.
| This outpost zone, with Medening as its
focal point, covers the approaches to the
main Mareth positions. A great deal
now depends on the rapidity with which
| Gen. Montgomery can oyerpower the
| German defenders and the tremendous
natural obstacles and break through into
! the open desert to the north.
The Americans have already lost their
hold on the important road center of
! Gatsa. They may have to go even far
ther back to avoid development. They
must keep their forces in hand, a con-
| slant threat to Rommels flank, as the
thunder of British guns grows even
| louder in the south.
Rommel is trying to deal with his
| opponents one at a time On the
map, his position is all but hopeless:
he can redress the balance only If he can
wiring the last ounce of advantage from
| the superior training and experiences OF
| his veteran Afrika Korps. He has a
| tarnished reputation to retrieve, and he
| will do his best, There will be savage
! and bloody fighting in Tunisia before the
! old Desert Fox" is brought finally to
| hay, and we must be prepared to pay a
!