Evening star., 1943-05-08
Tunisio CompoignSoid
To Be Virtually at End
Major Eliot Declares Fall
Of Tunis and Bizerte Means
Move Against Europe Soon
By Maj. George Fielding Eliot.

By Maj. George Fielding Eliot.
AS these words are written, we know
that We have won great victory in
North Africa, though we do not yet
know its full extent. We know that
Tunis and Bizerte are in the hands of
the United Nations forces. We do not
know how much of the Axis Army has
been destroyed or taken, or how much of
it may be retiring into the Cape Bon
Peninsula for last stand.
That, however, does not matter very
much. With the fall of Tunis and BIZ
zerte, the African campaign is substan-
TALLY at an end. The great Allied effort,
which began when Sir Bernard L. Mont
gomery's immortal 9th Army broke
through Rommel's lines at FL Alamein
which was carried forward another step
when American and British troops under
the command of Gen. Dwight D. Eisen-
hover landed in French North Africa,
there to be joined by the gallant French
men under Gen. Henri Giraud, has
reached its inevitable conclusion. The
continent of Africa is now one great
United Nations base for operations
against the southern facade of Europe.
One more link in the steel ring with
which Hitler and his Nazi hordes are
surrounded has snapped shut
The immediate result in Tunisia has
been obtained by hard fighting, grim
resolution and first-class leadership from
the Commander in Chief down to the
squad leaders. All ranks appear to have
been lmbued with the fierce determina-
ton to fight this battle through to a
quick. and victorious finish, to deny to
the Germans the one advantage which
they hoped to gain from the Tunisian
campaign-time. The policy adopted was
one of unrelenting pressure all along
the seml-circular German line from sea
to sea. When the first break came at
Mateur, 1t was swiftly exploited by hurl-
ing all available reserves at the weak
ened center of the German line, where
the British 1st Army had already pre-
pared the way. A complete break
through resulted, and through the gap
the British armdred troops rushed on to
the capture of Tunis, while the Ameri-
cans took care of Bizerte.
So far the picture is clear. The Ger
mans have been outfought and out
generated. Their propaganda will try
to minimize the extent and the inevita-
able consequences of this victory, but
there is no Disgusting the hard fact that
the Germans have lost Africa and we
have gained it,
Whether the Germans have been able
to withdraw any considerable number
OF their forces into the Cape Bon Pen
insula remains uncertain at this writing.
Possibly they have; certainly there were
indications few days ago, as noted in
my article of May S, that they were pre-
pairing to do so. There they would have
a very short land front to defend, and
they would be closer to their air bases
in Sicily than anywhere else in Tunisia.
but they would have few if any air bases
on African soil and they would be sur
rounded on three sides by sea COM
pletely dominated by Allied forces, as
would be the skies above their heads.
Evacuation may. of course, be attempt
ed. but evacuation by sea seems likely to
lead only to a bloody slaughter-a
slaughter which may have already be-
gun, as reports come in of increased
sinkings of Axis ships in the Strait of
Sicily. Evacuation by air from the Cape
Bon Peninsula would be seriously ham,
pered by the lack of bases.
There are, however, reports from
front-line observers that a great many
German officers already have been taken
away by air, even down to some of the
best captains and lieutenants. This
hardly can improve the morale of the
men who are left behind with orders to
Ole at their posts, and it is entirely pos
slble that the morale of the Axis forces
In Africa has cracked completely, which
would account for the failure to make a
better defense of the fortress of Bizerte
"a defense which most observers had
expected to last for some days.
But whether or not fighting continues
for little while in the hills of Cape
Bon, victory in Africa is ours The en-
emy fought for time, and Allied arms
have denied it to him. As the wear
opened, high hopes were entertained in
Berlin of delay in Africa until the end
OF July, or even later. Instead the first
week in May sees Tunis and Bizerte in
Allied hands, and the summer lies be-
fore us for the invasion of Europe. 1t is
great news that comes to us from Africa
news that should bring glow of pride
to the heart of every American, every
Briton, every Frenchman. 1t is news of
a victory won. 1t is the herald of VIC
tories yet to come
(Copyright, 1943, New York Tribune Inc)
Al IL