Documents Relating to New Zealand's Participation in the Second World War 1939–45: Volume I
376 — General Wavell, Commander-in-Chief, Middle East, to the Chief of the General Staff (Wellington)
376
General Wavell, Commander-in-Chief, Middle East, to the Chief of the General Staff (Wellington)
The following general review of the situation in the Middle East is private and most secret for the Prime Ministers of Australia and New Zealand and for Generals Sturdee1 and Duigan:
1 Lieutenant-General Vernon Ashton Hobart Sturdee, CB, CBE, DSO; Chief of the General Staff, Australian Military Forces, 1940–42; Head of Australian Military Mission to Washington, 1942–44; GOC 1st Australian Army, 1944–45; Chief of the General Staff, Australia, 1945–to date.
2 It was in fact the 5th New Zealand Infantry Brigade.
CYRENAICA AND EGYPT: The Tobruk garrison under Morshead2 is carrying out a very active defence and is inflicting heavy losses on the enemy at small cost whenever he attacks. The enemy has certainly been forced to pause for reinforcements and, owing to the difficulty of maintenance, I do not anticipate a reinforced German armoured advance before the second week of May. The internal Egyptian situation is steadier, but it will react violently to any enemy success or air bombing.
Included in future German moves may be the reinforcement of his present weak Libyan air force from the Balkans, possible air-and sea-borne attacks on Crete or Cyprus, airborne landings in Syria and the use of Syrian aerodromes, pressure on Bundar Abbas, and the support of anti-British elements in Iraq.
1 General Blamey had been appointed Deputy Commander-in-Chief, Middle East.
2 Lieutenant-General Sir Leslie James Morshead, KCB, KBE, CMG, DSO; Officer Commanding 18th Infantry Brigade, AIF, 1940–41; GOC 9th Division, AIF (Tobruk), 1941–42; commanded Australian Corps in Middle East, 1942–44; GOC 2nd Australian Army, 1944.