The Waterbury Democrat., 1942-09-17


 BY ROBERT RUARK Waterbury Democrat Washington Correspondent
 Passed by the CensOr) Marshal Erwin Rommeps current setbacks in Egypt are partially ex- plainable by remarks made by SeIl- ator Henry Cabot Lodge, Jr., just after he returned from active duty on the Libyan front.
 Lodge, a reserve major who had volunteered for a look-see at Libya, came back to Washington when the world was lowing low to RoInnels military genius. Tobruk had just fallen, and there was g trend to compare the Nazi marshal with ev- erybody from Hannibal to Napoleon Lodge, who had been ve-bombed, strafed and generally harried by Rommel's Afrika Korps, couldn't see it that way.
 "Hes a good general" the tall Massachusetts senator said. "But he's no all-time genius. . No Napoleon. What he is is a hellishly capable professional. And I mean professional in all its senses. Adaptable to immediate circunn- stances and an amazing opportun- ist.
 "Rommel never put all his eggs in one basket. He never made up his mind inflexibly to do or die with one specific move. He never fully com- mitted himself to any prescribed tactic.
 "Rommel would start several thrusts at once, and throw his strength into whichever seemed to be progressing most favorably. He picked his holes like a good smart football player, and dived into the likeliest with everything he had.
 Tn the Libyan campaign Rom- mel's ace was that the British never knew where he was or what to ex- pect next. He'd throw up some tanks there, some smoke over there, some planes here, and then bang home in the confusion. His advan- tage was that he wasn't trying to storm prepared positions. That is one of the chief differences be- tween the Libyan and Egyptian campaigns.
 THE THING HE LIKES LEAST
 Tn Egypt right now we've got 8 pretty fair idea of where Rommel is and what he's doing. And he is doing the things he likes least 4. storming that prepared position In Libya he rarely stormed. He preferred to inf1ltrate around his objective, cut off supplies and water. and make his move when the Brit ish were thoroughly weakened"
 Lodge says that much of Rom- mels Libyan success was directly attributable to the click-clack smoothness with which his general staff work ran along. "The mark of the professional again" Lodge says. "Rommel's organization was the type bred only by long and scientific preparation for a certain job"
 Rommel's earlier successes also were traceable to his adeptness with his armored corps. The Ger man marshal didn't divide the strength of his mechanized might, throwing sections here and sec- tions there.
 wherever he was," Lodge said, The was superior. He kept his two armored divisions and his motorized infantry tightly welded as unit and made the most of it."
 Rommel developed an amazingly sharp device for detecting enemy mines. So good that he could uproot an average 200 British mines an hour. This enabled him to travel pretty much as he willed through British mine fields, and on one particular occasion he used the British's own mines to protect two Hanks, having to worry only about the front and rear of his column.
 Lodge also was frankly admir- ing about Rommel's number one busting weapon. the 88-milli- meter gun. Formerly used as an anti-aircraft weapon. it would go through anything 1t hit"
 NO SUPERNATURAL POWERS
 Rommels tanks carried center mounted guns, which means they had a 360-degree fire radius, as op- posed to the 36-degree radius avail able to our Mss, or General Grants" which mounted their guns on the side. A newer allied tank, the MA. has converted its gum mount to the center, and should be the equal of or possibly superior to the German tank.
 All through Lodges converse tion, you get the idea that Rom mel's early superiority was due more to greater experience and preparedness than to any semi supernatural powers of. leadership and strategy. As allied eXperi- ence and fire power gradually catches up to the German stand ard. the Rommel legend is apt to fade accordingly.
 'That fellow on the wall" Lodge says. pointing to a picture of Gen. George (Old- Blood and -Guts) Pat ton, "is good enough to knock Rom- mels ears down, and there are a couple more mechanical experts in the American Army who can do the same thing"