Detroit evening times. (Detroit, Mich) 1921-1958, 1943-05-03
War Today
Rommel Plight
Not Comparable
10 Dunkirk Events
Nv CAPT. JOHN H. CRnGE

By CAPT. JOHN n. CRAl"t
vrn,en Especially for lnta NsWs Service
THE CONSTANT recurrence
in dispatches Of the term sec
ond Dunkirk sends the tactual-
minded observer scurrying 10
the war-historieS to determine
mst how much similarity exists
between the escape OF The Brit
ish from France and the I'M
pending fate Of Marshal Rom
mels Afrika Korps
On the taCe Of the record
there seems little IN common
between what happened at Dun
kirk and Ronmel's present
plight. The mission and pFac-
tically all of the strategic con-
ditions that surrounded the
British were diametricallV op-
posite 70 those Of present ANS
forces in Africa.
The command Of the arr and
sea vas differently divided.
Even the weather was different
All Of these played an eloquent
mart in the Dunkirk evacuation
and are likely 10 prove lnsig-
nificant in the Tunisian hght-
Ing 10 come.
In fact. about the only SIM
jlarity existing between I h g
classic escape of Britalns army
and the approaching dea I n
struggle of the Gernan-ltalian
garrison Of the Bizerte Tunis
area is that in each case a pow
erful army pursued by a victor
Gus enemy was hemmed IN with
its retreat cut of by a broad
arm of the sea.
DIFFERENCES IN the stu
alton Of Britain's army IN France
following the Battle Of Belgium
and that Of the Axis armies IN
Tunisia begin in strategy.
The British formed part Of
the giant struggle Of the Dutch
Belgian British France battle
line striving against massed
Nazi armies for the control OF
northwestern Europe.
The British fought valiantly,
az is their custom, but when on
May 26. 1910, the Germans
drove a wedge between the Bel.
rian army on the left flank OF
the British line while two Nazi
army arrnored divisions drove
through on their right TO the
channel al Boulogne, their tate
was sealed.
The situation was rendered
RAPIDLY worse when German
Panzer divisions turned north
threatening 10 cut off from the
sea the English and French
forces inside their net. This
development destroyed all hope
of further resistance. Only OBJ
iective of the Allied forces cut
of was 10 escape alive, II pos
sible.
MISSION OF the Axis Tuni'
sian army now is To fight for
time. Hitler. their boss, doesn
want any Dunkirk escape. His
order TO the Afrika korps ha:
undoubtedly been TO fight 10 the
last. holding back United Ma
lions preparations for an inva
Z sion OF southern Europe TO the
last possible moment. In doin(
; this they must face the prob
ability of almost complete ami
hiliation. but that is none o
the fuehrer's worry.
Principal factor in the nnirac
) ulously successful British es
I cape at Dunkirk was the com
plete control OF the sea by III
I ROYAL Navy. This enabled III
swarm of small boats 10 carr,
cargoes of soldiers and thei
equipment 10 English ports II
y safety.
The Raj also. by a tremend
Gus effort. was able 10 gar
temporary local superiority an
supply a protective umbrella q
( sir protection. II is very IN
likely. should an attempt 2
evacuation Of Axis forces b
made al the end of the presen
Tunisian struggle that II will b
possible 70 afford them any pre-
lection by sea or much al
cover
90
OTHER SIGNIFICANT faC
Tor often lost sight Of is thu
nearly two weeks Of almost cor
tinuous fog. rain and mist COY
cred the evacuation from III
Dunkirk beaches Weather
North Africa now is clear, like
10 remain so.