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Aviation History
1943
1943 - 0621.PDF
MARCH IITH, 1943 FLIGHT 247 TRIPOLITA-NIAN FIGHTER BOMBERS:Trolley loads of bombs waiting tobe loaded on to the line of Kittyhawks The Tunisian Position : Russian Successes : Qreat U.S. Pacific Victory : Bombing in the West TUNISIAN PRELUDE: Air ChiefMarshal Sir Sholto Douglas talking with Gp, Capt. B. H. C, Russell at anadvanced airfield of the Eighth Army. THE Axis offensive in Tunisia,which at one time looked nasty,though it never really threat- ened anything like disaster to the Allied Forces, has died away. The enemy is believed to have lost about 25 of the 50 tanks which were dis- tributed along various points of the attack. This must be an inconveni- ence to him, but, as our submarines and aircraft have not been able to cut completely the shipping route from Sicily, he may well receive replace- ments in due course. It is interesting to try to put oneself into the position of the Axis High Command, and to consider what the next move ought to be. There can be little doubt that Axis strategy in Tunisia is defensive. The campaign there is a delaying action, intended to postpone as long as possible the moment when the United Nations will recover complete control of the Medi- terranean. A reconquest of all North Africa can hardly be seriously con- sidered But will defensive strategy mean defensive tactics? That would be foreign to German military ideas. The Mareth line is being held, but the Eighth Army is pursuing the regular tactics which have served it so well ever since the battle of Alamein. When a defensive line is be- ing held, General Montgomery never attempts to rush it with insufficient preparations. He always waits and builds up his force until he is strong enough to attack with practical cer- tainty of success.. That process has now been going on for some time, and the length of the lines of communica- tion make it a slow process. We may be sure that General Alexander, for his part, is not letting the grass grow under his feet in the parts occupied by the Allies, but what has been going on there has not been published. The German reconnaissance aircraft may have been able to learn something about it, but General Alexander is a master of camouflage, and before Alamein he was able to conceal his intentions from Rommel. The Ger- mans may decide to try another attack, but they are unlikely to bring off another surprise. The choice be- tween attacking with poor prospects and waiting to be attacked is not exhilarating. In Russia A FTER having been behind the •'*• scenes for some time, Marshal Timoshenko made a dramatic come- back by suddenly appearing in the news as commander of the Russian forces south of Lake Ilmen. In a sudden attack he captured the town of Demyansk and abolished the well- fortified German salient between the lake and the Valdai hills. Th*speed of his advance is shown by the fact that he captured 40 aircraft on the Demyansk airfield. During most of the Russian winter advance the Germans have been prompt in sending their air squadrons back in good time to avoid capture. This attack was also a good example of the way the Russians strike in a new quarter when- ever there are signs that their advance in some other is likely to be slowed down. An early thaw has had this effect in the Donetz basin, and the Germans have been counter-attacking in deter- mined fashion there, and with some success It seems that the Russians have been successful in using their
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