World War, STRATEGY: The Battle of 1942

“The Caucasus, Iran, Iraq and Syria may well prove to be the great battlefield of 1942. It is difficult to predict whether any particular phase of the war will be decisive, but obviously when and if the Germans strike out for the oil in the Caucasus and the oil in Iran and seek to attack our Middle Eastern position, this region will become the main theater of war.”

General Sir Archibald Percival Wavell said these words last week just as two great new battles—in Russia and in Libya —reached an ugly pitch. The world had its eyes on those battles, but cautious “Archie” Wavell, whose forte is general strategy, could see the battles in their true perspective.

The battles were intrinsically and immediately important (see below). But they were perhaps more important as preludes to the great battle of 1942.

In Russia the Germans were putting on a desperate drive to get themselves set for the battle of 1942. They could not drive south to the battlefield of 1942 while substantial Russian forces remained at their rear in the north; and so they fought in violent haste, to choke off Moscow (see p. 21) and strengthen their position at the approach of the Caucasus, around Rostov (see p. 21).

In Libya the British were putting on a desperate drive to get themselves set for the battle of 1942. Unless they could clear the Axis from North Africa, it would be very difficult to turn north in strength great enough to repulse a big German drive.

In both of last week’s battles there was terrible urgency. If the side which took the initiative lost either of these clashes, it might well lose the battle of 1942.