Evening star., 1940-06-06
Hitler's Supreme Stroke

- ~ SNIONS
The German scythe has started to
swing again. 1t is the second stroke
OF a Hitlerized Won Schlieffen plan
for cutting deadly swath through
Belgium and thence through North
ern France to Paris. The first stroke,
delivered with ferocity that slashed
irresistibly through the inadequately
prepared Belgium, French and Brit
ish armies in Flanders, met with
astounding success. Most military
experts had supposed that the Sec
ond blow would be aimed across the
Channel at England, and that the
southwark drive toward Paris would
be resumed later. If that was the
original Nazi plan. perhaps it was
altered in the light of difficulties
which the Germans encountered in
carrying their blitzkrieg to the
shores of the English Channel. They
learned at Calais and Dunkerque
how effective an inspired, co-ordi-
mated British defensive operation
can be; how formidable is a combi-
nation of British sea power and air
power.
So the scythe, after brief pause,
has struck swiftly along the Somme
and Aisne Rivers. where General
Maxine Weygand has been concen-
tratlng in hastily fortified positions
the best fighting divisions of the
well-trained armies of France. Hit
Ter has indicated that this is to be
the supreme stroke, the coup de
grace to the Allied cause. He is
throwing all the energy and all the
resources of his ruthless war ma
chine into the effort. Apparently he
is gambling everything on a quick
and decisive blow that will slice
through the French Armies and
around Paris, bringing him into posi-
tlon for an attack on the Maginot
Line from the rear. With France
fallen, Britain would be in desperate
straits, with the whole fury of the
German assault then loosed upon
England.
But the trend of the first days
stroke against the "Weygand Line"
could have given small comfort to
Hitler and his generals. Either the
blltzkrleg scythe has been dulled by
the obstacles it met in Flanders. or
1t has come up against a new kind
OF resistance. Meager dispatches
from the Somme- -Aisne front seem
to support the latter theory. An AS
sociated Press war correspondent
tells of a new anti-tank defense
that stopped the onrushing mech
anized columns in their tracks. The
novel technique involved setting up
OF a maze of hidden machine gun
nests and anti-tank batteries which
opened fire with deadly effect on the
advancing German tanks. The bat
terles were screened by buildings or
trees from enemy bombers A few
light tank units broke through the
line in "unimportant" places, the
French said, but none got through
IN the vital spots protected by the
new defense system. Meanwhile,
French troops and French artillery
held their positions stoutly as they
inflicted terrible punishment on the
invaders.
If the French and their Allies can
continue to hold their line with as
much success as they held it during
the first day of the new assault, the
German scythe perforce will lose
much of its cutting power and the
supreme stroke" may be arrested
long enough to enable the British to
send essential reserves of men and
equipment. A prolonged stalemate
in France would be most disastrous
for the German Army, dependent as
1t must be upon rapidly diminishing
supplies from home. And every days
delay in fulflllment of Hitler's care
fully planned march increases the
opportunities for America to render
tangible and effective aid to the en-
battled forces of democracy. In
these prospects,, dim though they
may seem to be, lie the chief hopes
Of the Allied cause today.