The Waterbury Democrat., 1940-05-24


way TO the sea and that he expected
nj any time TO receive news that
his men had taken the city OF Client
and the Client canal, connecting
Client with the Scheldt estuary.
Press Toward Ostend
Keuchlers army Is pressing To-
ward Ostcnd, Oh the Belgian coast,
and Bruges, Just inland, q member
Of his staff explained, while TO the
south the army under General Wal
ter Won Reiehenau moved toward
Calais and Dunkirk.
Success In these actions, II was
said, would split the Allied force re-
firing from Belgium into segments,
TO be dealt with separately.
(Oechsner's previous dispatches
would make II appear that II was
Reichenau's army that was now en-
gagged In the battle OF Flanders).
German leaders OF the front
seemed confident of success In their
double drive and an air force spokes-
man expressed belief that German
planes might proceed against Eng
land within eight days II present
progress were maintained
Well Trained Army
have seen oil phases OF opera
tions from bombing 10 the handling
OF wounded. I obtained the impress
sion that this German army Is o.
well trained and as well equipped Of
any could be. The Mails spent seven
years building II up and they seemed
TO have overlooked nothing.
I must have seen more than 100
supply and reinforcement columns
The only hitch saw was q delay
OF about 20 minutes at O brigde-head
Germany took the initiative, forced
war Of movement and made II O
fast one,
Some of the big trucks ] saw must
have been going 40 miles an hour
or more, and armored cars went o.
most as fast.
According TO German officers, and
what I have seen, the britzkrieg IL
not bringing the destruction OF 1914
Parts of many villages have been
destroyed by bombs or artillery
shells. But there was not the total
destruction OF long big gun bonn
bardment. Where resistance was
stubborn, however, as In Louvain, de-
struction was shocking,
Countryside Unframed
The Belgian countryside, what !
saw OF 1t, was almost unframed
Cows Craze contentedly alongside
Uttered disabled tanks.
German commanders say also that
loss Of life Is relatively low.
In one operation by Stuka bomb
ers and artillery IN the Liege sector
was told, a Belgian position had
been taken without the loss OF one
German soldier
The effect Of the blitzkrieg on
civilians was one OF the impressive
things. A few days after the war
had swept over their farms and VII
lage homes, the peasants were trudg-
Ing back home to rebuild destroyed
homes They were distressing sight
plodding along country roads end
lessly, seemingly almost stunned and
seemingly lacking hatred or even
resentment.
At the moment when their coun-
trymen were still fighting In Flan-
ders, have seen Belgians COM
mencing to fraternize with German
soldiers at village cafes or on roads
I can not say that this was general
but 1t was frequent.
continuous operation. AS a result oil
their experiences In Poland, the Ger.
mans have equipped these tanks with
duplicate fuel tanks and thick plates
OF steel riveted on to their fronta
armor.
Modern Army's Cavalry
The tank Is the modern army's
cavalry and employs similar tactics
but with infinitely more speed ano
mobility. The driver sits at the very
front between the tractor treads. HI
peers through slit which limits hi!
field Of vision to about 100 feet II
front and IS to either side. H,
drives, operates, controls indicator,
and a radio set, and hands reserve
ammunition from wall receptacle
to the gunner in the turret.
The driver takes orders from ar
officer who stands or sits behind hi
back. The officer guides the driver
by touching him on the shoulder.
The tank is a terribly eificien1
weapon. A French tank colonel once
assured me that "the fire strength
of a single battalion OF tanks /.
equivalent to fun regiment Of ar
tillery."
Many who did not believe hin
then do now.
ANCIENT VlSlT0R