Detroit evening times. (Detroit, Mich) 1921-1958, 1942-11-07
The War
Today
Ndzis Lose
Arm Of Drive
Into Caucasus
By MAI. PAUL c. RABoRG
unurr Especially for International Ne"'
service and The Detroit 1imss

southern arm. Marshal Rom
smefs Axis troops IN northern
Africa, Of the great NaA
pincer drive to conquer the
Caucasus and the Middle East,
has been definitely smashed
and defeated.
Just 10 days ago l wrote IN
this column:
Personally. I am beginning
10 doubt the ability OF Mar
shall Rommel, both a. a stra-
tegist and as a fighter. First,
z he is pictured as on intimate
friend of Adolf Hitler and a
believer that the fuehrer j. a
superman. cannot under
stand how any fighter or
, strstegist could so regard
Hitler.
Secondly. il is generally
conceded by strategists that
Rommel made a great error.
when his recent drive into
Egypt was stopped nj I'll
Alamein, in that he remained
In this extremely extended po-
sition with very narrow
y front. not more than 40 miles.
which was exposed In depth 10
Allied superiority on the sea
and in the air.
1T seems To me, had he
been the outstanding strate-
gist as reported, that he would
have Immediately retired into
Libya, where he could block
to better advantage any at
tempted United Nations adj
vance"
London tells us we cannot
be too optimistic in our esti-
nation of this present North
African victory. This is more
than substantiated by the di-
rect news from the front. As
we know, Britain has been
ultraeonservative in declaring
any victories before they had
. of certainty been won.
:.
THE UPLIFTING effect Of
this great British victory on
the morale of the United Ma.
tons. and all of the patriots
within the conquered coun-
tries, will be tremendous. The
short-wave radio systems of
sfhe democracies will make
certain that the news Of Rom
mel's d efeat is broadcast
throughout the Axis countries.
German women whose men
have been killed or manned in
, battle will ask themselves
where are Hitler's boasted-
of victories? Why does this
slaughter uselessly continue ?"
= The killing of General Won
Stumme, Rommels second in
command, is highly significant,
and the fact that his success
sor, General Won Thoma. and
/. other senior Axis officers
s'were captured, definitely indi-
= Gates the withdrawal must
have been entirely disorgan-
lied.
The modern motorized and
mechanical attack is made on
a narrow front. The spear
head advances, and feels TO
the right and left for a soft
spot through which il may
drive.
This British offensive was
Z marked by its careful pre-
? paTatory work TO soften not
only the front but the depth
AS well. 1t was accomplished
by a tremendous volume Of
well directed artillery fire and
: fncessant night and day bomb.
ings.
:, THE DEFENSE consists of
strong islands of resistance
not a solid front line-which
are extended TO the rear TO
great depth. The theory Of
the attack is 10 penetrate be-
tween the islands Of defense.
then turn TO the right and left
TO roll back the enemy's
tanks.
This was eXsctly the
. method by which the victories
for the United Nations were
attained.
IN The British broke through
the northern end of the line,
drove straight westward, and
then turned and advanced 10
: the Mediterranean Coast. thus
encircling and pinning down a
considerable Avis fnrcn which