Evening star., 1942-07-19
About Second Front
Held Unlikely Soon
Due 70 Big Problems
Tremendous Shipping and
Troinine Hurdles
Facing Allies
BY DREW MIDDLETON,

LONDON July 18-The serious
ness of the German advance in the
Don Basin may prompt the United
States and Britain to drive across
the English Channel soon to open a
second trent, but the tremendous
shipping and training problems con-
fronting the Allies made it unlikely
that such drive would be an all-out
invasion
Such am attack would differ ap-
preciably from the grand war-win-
ming operations for which American,
British and Canadian armies are
training, according to military ex-
perts who will not be quoted by
name. ~
But whatever the scale of attack,
the Allied armies approaching
France or the Low Countries would
confront veteran German generals,
stout coastal defenses, numerous air.
dromes for planes which could be
dispatched from the Russian front
and most important Of allan army
operating on short interior lines of
communications.
AS this Island grimly watched
the tide Of German successes in
Russia, Oliver Lyttelton, Minister of
Production, declared the German
Army was committed to the grip
of a second paralyzing winter which
may we'll prove to be its last If
Hitler fails to crush the Red Army
in the 80 remaining fighting days.
Tremendous Tasks Faced.
The Allies, pledged morally at
least to opening second diversion
ary front to relieve Russia lest its
millions be lost forever to the Allied
cause, face tremendous tasks in re-
opening a western continental land
front.
First is the selection of an in
vasion site. Northern France is
most often mentioned because it is
automatic that no invasion can be
attempted beyond the range of
fighter planes. An essential condi-
ton to success would be the occu-
patton of German airdromes along
the French coast by American and
British forces. Without these. the
invading Allies air support would
be extremely limited.
Shipping, of course. is an enor-
nous hurdle since German sub
marines have greatly reduced the
Allied pool and every ship Is needed
to supply and reinforce fronts
throughout the world. Northern
France offers the shortest avenue
for invasion on which small Allied
ships could be used repeatedly as
at Dunkerque. under constant
Allied nir protection.
Two French peninsulas are advan-
tageous for amphibian offensive op-
erations. If either the Cherbourg or
Brest peninsula were occupied-as
suggested by one newspaper-the
sea would be secure on both f1anks.
100000 Men Required.
The German spearhead which
burst into France in May, 1910,
comprised eight armored divisions.
1t is difficult to believe that the
Allies could break the coastal de-
fenses with less, together with about
% supporting infantry divisions
each with artillery. Thus the initial
Allied invasion force would comprise
100000 men at least.
A reserve force of Is divisions, in
cluding two armored divisions,
would have to stand ready to make
good initial losses which military
men say would be heavy.
Transporting and maintaining
such an army would require a mini
mum of 200 medium merchantmen,
1900 barges, 1,500 tank lighters.
Landing heavy equipment would
be extremely difficult, particularly
II small ports were chosen as bridge
heads. The alternative would be to
capture a strongly protected base
such as Lorient or ST. Nazaire.
which would be a major operation
in itself.
Another difficulty is the need of
reserve ships, barges and lighters.
Large merchantmen suitable for
transatlantic convoy service would
be useless in small ports. They
present large target anywhere.
Small tugs, freighters and coastwise
vessels which brought one British
Army away from France would have
to be employed to land another.
Huge Supply Task.
All these problems are dwarfed
by the task of supply. Much of the
equipment for United States forces
must he hroupbt ocrocc tho At1ont;,