Show f ft f- f r i It r r 1 r t Behind the War News Major Eliot tS t'S Says Says YS j 1 By MAJOR GEORGE FIELDING ELIOT The expected has happened In Tunisia Marshal Marshll Rommel has left his Infantry and part of his guns to hold back the British Eighth army at the Mareth line and with his armored and mobile elements 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 education education tion in the same coin in which our gallant lads must now pay for theirs theirs blood It was undoubtedly just this situation which Secretary of War Stimson had In mind when he warned at a a recent press conference conference conference con con- ference that we must expect heavy casualties soon in Tunisia The secretary is himself an old soldier He commanded raw troops pitted against German veterans In World War I. I He knows well what American valor American resourcefulness and the unquenchable A American m mer e r i c can a n spirit can do on the battlefield but he also knows that our young soldiers must pay a disproportionate disproportionate disproportionate dis dis- dis- dis proportionate cost in lives in their first encounters with the experienced warriors of the enemy en en- emy We Ve 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 somehow somehow some some- how by a sort of mechanical miracle of American production and American Ingenuity These things are important but in the end we shall attain victory chiefly chiefly chiefly chief chief- ly at the price of blood sweat and tears As for the immediate situation in Tunisia it is largely a matter matter matter mat mat- ter of timing Rommel's objective objective objective tive is s probably not so much to widen his corridor of retreat along the coast as it is to do doas doas doas as much damage as possible to our armored troops and to our communications As with all allgood allgood allgood good soldiers Rommel's basic idea is not to take this or that geographical point but to destroy destroy destroy de de- de- de stroy or neutralize the troops of his opponent In the present instance he has a most exactIng exacting exacting exact- exact Ing 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 Eighth army can break through the Mareth line into the open desert north of Gabes and the Salt lakes If he can an ti throw row th the American forces back back- with th s 's such ch heavy losses that they cannot amine imme nm resume their pressure 61 os his flank he will then be frei fret to deal with the Eighth is ID army fc its turn and will have a far fat better chance of prolonging his lda te tenure ure of the Mareth position and the east coast ports We must never forget that In fn Tunisia the Germans are play ing chiefly for time The lon loner long er they can keep us fighting h to Africa the longer it will be before be be- fore we can develop offensive operations elsewhere The German Ger man high command no longer expects to win this war Their one remaining hope is to wear ua ne down to prolong the agony u tin un til for for very weariness we give eh them a a peace which will enable enaw them to retain the nucleus of power essential to a comeback later on The Americans have already lost their hold on the Important road center of They may map ma have to go even farther back to avoid envelopment They must keep their forces in hand a Constant constant constant con con- stant threat to Rommel's flank as the thunder of British guns gun grows even louder In the south Rommel is Js trying to deal wits nth his opponents one at a time the map his position is all aU but hopeless he can re redress ress the balance bal ance only if it he can an wring the thi last ounce of ot advantage from the superior training and experience of his veteran Afrika Korps He has a tarnished reputation to re retrieve reo trieve and he will do his best There will be savage and bloody fighting in Tunisia before the old desert fox is brought finally to bay and we must be prepared to pay a heavy price for victory j I 1 |