Office of the Historian

740.0011 European War 1939/24082: Telegram

The Minister in Egypt (Kirk) to the Secretary of State

Cairo, September 7, 1942—5 p.m.
[Received September 8—8:53 a.m.]

1596. My 1594, September 7.29 The fact that Rommel has been forced to delay operations and that his latest venture failed is due to Allied air superiority, to which General Brereton’s30 Command has so valiantly contributed. If more air is sent at once, this advantage may be developed into a victory and if still more arrives in time, even the menace of an eventual diversion of greater Axis strength to this theater can be met. With Rommel silenced and advanced territory gained, the opportunity is present of creating an air front in this theater that can dominate Axis power in southern and southeastern Europe.

Kirk
  1. Not printed.↩
  2. Maj. Gen. Lewis H. Brereton, Commanding General, U. S. Tenth Air Force. General Brereton had been ordered on June 23, 1942, to transfer the heavy bombers of the Tenth Air Force to the Middle East.↩