FLIGHT
THE MIDDLE EAST
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HE war zone illustrated on the above map is gaining rapidly in importance. Even more so than
in the past two years, the attention of both friend
and foe is to-day focused on that area which throughout
its history has been the background of decisive battles.
A glance at the map will show how Allied potentialities of waging war against the soft underbelly of the Axis
and the different satellites have materially altered since
the clearing of Africa of German and Italian forces ; the
whole of the Southern Mediterranean seaboard has now
been linked together with the Eastern Mediterranean
areas to form a formidable block of bases for future
operations. With Palestine and the Suez Canal as the
Clapham Junction of the Middle East, from the Caspian
Y
A
Sea to Gibraltar, from India to the Caucasus, there
stretches to-day a vast territory under Allied control!
rich in such essential war materials as fuel oil, prodigious
in man-power and other resources.
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The strategic advantages offered to the Allies by th<j
geographical distribution of air bases in this war theatr
are clearly apparent from the map. Based on the Nortl
African stations, Allied air power can accord a satisfac
tory measure of protecti4fc to shipping plying on_thfl
west-to-east Mediterranean route. This in itself is
considerable improvement of the Allied position in tnj
Middle East; for the Mediterranean shipping lane w"i
save shipping tonnage, and ..being considerably shortej
than the round-the-Cape route, will allow the acceleral