With the capture of Palmyra, the Vichy garrison of which held out for thirteen days against superior British and Free French forces, an important point has been reached in the Syrian campaign which should have the effect of producing a profound effect on the general situation. After making some initial progress along the Syrian coast, the Allied forces seem to have been held up by the Vichy troops between the sea and the vicinity of Damascus. The force which has captured Palmyra after making a historic move across the desert should now be in a position to outflank the Vichy forces in the south who have been holding up the Allied advance, for as it strikes further westward a pocket will be created out of which it will be desirable for the Vichy troops to withdraw. Thus a drive from Palmyra toward Beirut or Tripolis would have the effect of cutting southern Syria from the north making it necessary for the Vichy commander to retreat northwards if he is to maintain his forces intact.
Generally speaking, there are at least five British and Free French columns operating in Syria, one along the coast, the second in the vicinity of Damascus, the third at Palmyra, fourth south-east of Deir-ez-Zor and a fifth working along the Mosul-Aleppo railway with the latter city as the main objective. It is clear that a much greater effort is now being made to terminate the Syrian campaign as quickly as possible, and, given ordinary luck, ät would seem that the situation in that part of the world should be cleared up in the not too distant future:
That the Vichy French seem to have realized judging from the fact that their emissary to Turkey asked, firstly, for permission to send war material through Turkey into Syria, and, secondly, to be allowed to withdraw their troops into that country, clear indications that im the minds of Vichy there is not doubt as to the ultimate outcome of In Syria.
For the time being there appears to be-nô great activity in the Damascus sector, the probabilities are that the forces are resting and reorganizing while movements elsewhere are being carried out as a prelude to a general assault on the Vichy positions, That may not come until the three columns in eastern Syria have made further advances into the country calculated to force General Dentz to make a withdrawal. It is interesting to note that large numbers of Vichy troops when captured are enlisting in the Free French forces, and that it is expected that many more will change sides as the opportunity occurs. This seems to indicate that many of the Vichy men do not have their hearts in the present struggle and that except perhaps for restraint they would long ago have thrown in their lot with the Free French movement, That confirms an impression which has been growing recently that in Syria, and probably in other parts of the world, many French would come out openly on the side of de Gaulle and Great Britain if consequences did not have to be feared, r The garrison at Palmyra has been praised by Vichy for its stand of thirteen days against superior British forces. Those ¢ongratulations it thoroughly deserves, for though with the unexpected arrival of the British column across the desert the fate of Palmyra was sealed, the Vichy troops thus surrounded played their part nobly in seeking to delay Allied action as much as possible. They did not give in until they had been subjected to a heavy bombardment followed up by a powerful attack carried out by armoured vehicles, and there can be no doubt that they acquitted themselves well. It is only to be regretted that developments ever occurred which made it necessary for the British and the Free French ever to have had to fight such men.
Text read from the printed page and cleaned; old type leaves the occasional error.