Evening star., 1943-03-10
RommeI's Plight Now
Becoming More Acute
Maj. Eliot Says Fox Faces
Disaster os Even Weather
Turns Favorable TO Allies
By Maj. George Fielding Eliot.

6g NdJ. GeOige FIStuNQ EHOt.
In TuniSia, we must view the opera
tons of Marshal Rommel as energetic
efforts to get the best returns out of a
central position and a mobile force
which is not strong enough to overwhelm
either of It's opponents
For ROmmel to stand on the de-
fensive would be to waste the mobility
and striking power, and the excellent
equipment training and experience of
his Afrika K0rps. He is employing it to
upset the dispositions of his opponents
and thus delay the final reckoning
which he must know is coming. All
this is perfectly consistent with the un-
derlying and fundamental mission of
the German forces in Africa-to gain
time in Europe by keeping the Allies
lighting in Africa as long as possible
To be successful in operations Of this
hit-andrun character, it is. of course
necessary that Rommel should be able
to disengage his forces after accomplish
ing his immediate objectiveS, without
sustaining Gripping losses. That means
that his losses must not be greater than
can be readily replaced, within the ca
pacity of his somewhat precarious lines
Of communication.
A certain amount of personnel spare
parts and other items can be brought
to him by air from Sicily and Italy; but
for the bulk Of his heavy supplies, for
requirements Of tanks and motor trans
port, he is dependent upon the safe ar
rival in TuniSian ports of a reasonable
proportion Of the shipping that sets out
to make the dangerous passage across
the Mediterranean. In this latter re-
spect, his situation is becoming more
difficult.
The greatest single cause of this is the
coming Of better weather over the waters
Of the Mediterranean. The season of
low ceilings, thick mists and rain squalls
is passing. This means better visibility
for Allied aircraft to discover Axis Ship
ping and better visibility for Allied
surface craft and submarines to attack
that shipping. The passage from Italy
and Sicily to the ports of Tunisia is be-
coming more dangerous, as is evident by
the Increased sinkings reported in Allied
CommuniQueS. Thus Rommel will not
easily replace the so tanks which he lost
IN his Sortie out of the Mareth Line
against the British 9Th Army and it may
we'll be questioned whether, on balance,
this operation has, from the German
point of view, been justified by the re-
suits obtained
Moreover, there are signs that Allied
air superiority is, at any rate for the
time being, increasing on all parts of
the Tunisian front. The better weather
will enable us to reap extra dividends
from this superiority. The LuftWaffe
will have to draw again upon It's re-
serves if it is not to abandon the control
of the African air to British and Ameri-
can flyers.
There is nothing in the present situa-
ton in Africa which suggests any reason
to depart from the opinion previously
expressed in these articles, that the days
of the Axis in Africa are numbered and
that it is only question of how long it
will take to GUST them from that conti-
nent altogether Admiral of the Fleet
capable British commander of the inter-
Allied naval forces in the Mediterranean,
expects the Germans to attempt a with
draWal Of their African forces as the
hour of their final defeat approaches
but he does not believe that this attempt
will be successful
Certainly it would seem a suicidal
business now, in the face of Allied naval
and air superiority, to attempt to take
perhaps 100000 men out of the various
ports of Tunisia and transfer them to
Sicily. Such a German Dunkeruue
would seem likely to end in one of the
greatest slaughters that this war has
yet seen. Yet in the end the German
choice might be between attempting
such withdrawal and surrender. The
Germans are fighting now to stave off
the day when that choice may have to
be made; the Allies are fighting to i'm
pose that choice upon the enemy as
quickly as possible.
Copyright, 1913 New York Tribune Inc)