Detroit evening times. (Detroit, Mich) 1921-1958, 1941-07-25
Arms Changes
May Speed
Tank Output
Industrial Service Unit
Now Has Power
BY PAUL MALLON

BY PAUL MALLON
WASHINGTON, july Is
" The promised shakeup in
the war department ordnance
division turned out to be a
SCATTERING instead Pieces Of
that bottleneck may never be
found.
The generals have been hazy
on details and little reluctant
about the whole matter, but IT
is clear the technical staff of
ordnance has been abolished in
effect. Instead of standing as
a unit IN the choosing Of
weapons for the army 1t has
been folded IN under the in
dustrial service division with an
extensive change in personnel
A third unit in this keystone
ordnance arch of defense
preparations, known as the
ordnance committee, has like
wise experienced an overturn
OF personnel
Orders for the change went
out Wednesday, but were not
Immediately announced.
ONE immediate effect OF the
" change may place more
stress on the most serious de-
ficiency Of the army 10 date
tanks II is unbelievable, but
tanks have been sixth on the
official list of prior defense
necessities. Pre- erenCeS for
materials have been given 10
machine tools, naval equipment.
air corps, small arms and
artillery yes, small arms. and
artillery.
IT BEGINS 10 look like the
L proud Nazi general staff is
mainly responsible for the initial
blunder Of the Russian cam
paign. Hitler's advertised super
human general stratcgiStS who
had Schemed their way through
Europe with fresh military logic
that amazed the world, seem TO
have tripped on two simple mis-
calculations that might make
junior grade lieutenant blush.
OF course, both Berlin and
Moscow have been lying in their
public utterances so extensively
ii is impossible 10 put their
opposing accounts together and
ascertain precisely what hap
pened But this much is dis
cernible 10 the expert eyes here:
Hitler started four pincer
movements into Russia. of the
same type used so successfully
on a smaller scale in Poland and
France. The four mechanical
attacks were aimed at Lenin-
grad. Moscow. Kiev and toward
the mouth of the Dnieper Tread
ing from north to SOUTH These
four were TO plunge straight IN,
then march toward one another
completing Semi-clrcleS around
the Russian army, which was TO
be destroyed IN the cncircled
pockets. They plunged, but they
could not arch Not one of these
circles could be completed.
Ii is therefore apparent Hit
lerS great military thinkers mis-
calculated on the great distances
TO be covered and on the fight
ing resistance of the Red Army.
.To-coVe their original mis-
take, the NaZiS have now started
smaller pincer drives from their
original starting bases. designed
10 pinch off smaller pockets, in
side the unc0mpleted big peck
cts. The first four big bites
having failed, they are now try
ING dozens of less ambitious
bites.
IT MAY mean blitzkrieg will
not work on such vast ter
rain, where gasoline supplies
and requirements must be
hauled such long distances. II
could mean the new Russian
methods Of fighting mechanical
blitzes Gliding until the tanks
stop for the night and then at
lacking, etcO have produced the
long-awaited answer 10 the blitz.
| You will have TO wait until one
side or the other stops lying be-
fore you can judge.
Yet il is impossible 10 report
any optimism here for the long
range Russian cause. only hope.
The prevailing general military
I impression is that the Nazis
have only stumbled so far
BETTING odds are running as
~ high as 10 10 ! the Japs
will not accept the Nazi invita-
ton TO stab Russia in her broad
Siberian back There is good
reason. The Russians have zoe
10 go bombing planes within
400 miles Of a large japanese
naval base and only 500 10 zoe
miles away from the populous
JapaneSeciticS with their closely
huddled wooden houses.
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