Evening star., 1942-05-23
Nazi Officer Qualify
Declining, Russian
Observers Declare
'DismissoIs, False Diseases
And Death Said to Have
Depleted Leadership
By LELAND STOWE,

ny ALAAND o1oVvLs
Foreign Correspondent of The Star ant
Chicago Daily News. Inc.
MOSCOW. May 23.- Although
Soviet military leaders do not un-
derestimate the desperate character
of the blows which the German
armies must soon be expected to
strike along the eastern front, there
is the growing conviction here that
Hitler's legions will find it much
more difficult to maintain sus-
tanned offensives or counterattacks
throughout this summer than they
did year ago.
This belief is based on evidence
that the quality of Germany's high
command, of her off1cer-cadre in
general and of her non commits
stoned officers has been lowered very
considerably over the last II months
Of Russo-G German conflict.
Among Red Army men, confidence
that their ever-swelling ranks can
take everything that Hitler has to
give and more than repay it in kind
between now and autumn seems uni
Versal. Among some of the shrewd-
est Russian military analysts, the
reasons for this confidence are eX-
pressed factually.
A case in point is an article in
yesterdays official army organ Red
Star by the well-known army COM
mentator Col Tolchenov. The ar
ticle lists important changes in the
composition of the officers and
privates of the German Army since
the war began.
Loss Of Officers Cited.
Col. Tolchenov states that losses
Of German officers especially among
their elite veterans divisions have
been exceptionally large, and says
that "dismissals, false diseases and
death at the front of experienced
generals occupying leading posts in
the German Army undoubtedly
have weakened it. In their places
Hitler has appointed his own Off
GERS from the S. S. (elite guard)
and S. A (storm troops but they
are insufhciently prepared for war
purposes.
1T is true that Hitler has re-
turned many of the dismissed gen.
erals to the army, appointing them
to other posts" the colonel con-
tinues, but the crisis in the Ger
man supreme command could not be
liquidated by such measures. This
crisis has not only left its mark
on the generals, who now feel I'M
certain about their position, but
also has penetrated deeply into the
officer -cadre. 1t is obvious that all
these changes in the past IL months
have lowered the qualitative aver
age Of the German high command"
Col. Tolchenov says that compar-
atlvely few officers remain with the
German divisions which bore the
brunt of the fighting last June to
November. and that these losses in
generals, colonels and majors were
from among the most capable. most
loyal officers. He adds that the 9th
German Tank Division, officered by
veterans of the Polish and French
campaigns. lost 80 per cent of its
commanding staff in the fight for
Tikhvin. A similar fate is said to
have been met by the majority of
seasoned commanders of the 7th and
18th tank divisions, of the ''invin-
cible' divisions named S. S.. Reich
and Nord: of the 18th Motorized Di-
vision and Of the 123d Division.
Officers Courses Shortened.
According to Soviet information,
the German command was forced to
take urgent measures to refill the
gaps in the officers cadres. Organ
lied courses for training officers at
corps army headquarters promoted
many non-coms to officers posts.
The change in requirements of mill
tary schools is reported to be most
significant, with training courses for
new officers reduced to six months,
or even to only three months.
After the long drain of incessant
winter lighting Hitler also is feeling
the pinch of lack of reserves to
replace the millions of casualties
the Germans have suffered. As
with its officers, Germany lost the
elite of its veteran soldiers last year.
Col. Tolchenov declares, During
the first two months of the war the
Red Army routed II tank. 81 mfan-
try, 8 motorized and 3 S. S. divis-
ions" exactly go divisions which
were the cream of Hitler's forces
and with them went a vast number
of troops, which were his best both
physically and professionally.
Soviet intelligence reports that
the new German divisions are
weaker in numbers and that there
are many units consisting OF men
IS to 40 years of age. The majority
Of the privates in the 430th Infantry
Division average 35 years, it is said,
while the 4O3d Infantry Division
has only two infantry regiments.
The quality of the reserves is gener-
ally lower and many poorly trained
1dCIOly WOI kSIo dIC oAliCAI6 eAAooS
recently modified.
Prisoners Lose Arrogance.
Many of the recently captured
German pilots are said to have
been three months or less in Russia
testimony which tends to cor
roborate other reports of growing
Nazi shortage in trained air crews.
German prisoners, particularly
officers, have lost the arrogance and
cocksuredness which characterized
those captured in the first months
of the war. Self-assurance has been
sharply Debated in recent months
and it seems significant that more
German officers are surrendering
with groups of their soldiers than
ever before.
Col. Tolchenov reveals the names
of a number of German high COM
manders, who have been killed in
action in Russia, listing them as
among scores of Nazi generals who
met the same fate. He mentions
specifically Gen. Ritter Won Scho-
bert. commander of the 18th Ger
man Army; Gen. Won Briesen, COM