Evening star., 1942-07-22
Thut Second Front

bites ever deeper into Southern
Russia, discussion about the long
awaited second front" grows in in
tensity and volume. 1t seems to be
generally agreed throughout the
United Nations that this much-de-
sired operation, to accomplish what
Is intended, must be on scale and
in a locality which will compel the
Germans to divert considerable
proportion of their armed forces now
at, or strategically earmarked for,
the eastern front. This logically
excludes as effective substitutes,
hit-and-run commando raids or
mass bombings of German cities,
even on a stepped-up scale. What
is generally meant by a second front
is a genuine invasion of Nazi-held
territory in Western Europe, some
where between Norway and Southern
France. Such an invasion need not
necessarily aim at decisive victory
over Germany's western armies. Its
diversionary objective to relieve pres
sure on Russia would be attained il
one or more large "bridgeheads" on
the continent could be established
and held against German counter
attacks.
That, however, is the strategic
minimum for a true second-front
operation. And the consensus of
Allied military opinion is that at
least 100000 crack British and Amer
lean troops would be needed Such
troops, plus adequate requirements
in men and equipment are undoubt-
edly present in the British Isles.
Furthermore, there seems to be
enough air strength to gain at least
local mastery of the atmosphere,
especially along the coasts of North
ern France, Belgium and Holland,
which are all within range of Anglo
American fighter planes.
The vexatious fly in the ointment
appears to be shipping. Throughout
the world, the shipping shortage is
number one headache of the United
Nations grand strategy. At present
there is barely enough merchant
shipping adequately to perform vital
tasks ranging from the supplying OF
Britain, Russia and Australia to the
maintenance of armed forces all the
way from Iceland to India. Further
more, the problem grows more acute
as sinkings by Axis submarines and
airplanes exceed new tonnage turned
out.
The transporting of a great expedi-
tionary force from Britain to the
continent, and it's effective support
there, would require merchant ton
mage on huge scale. 1t is estimated
that, as an overall proposition, ten
tons of shipping would have to be
earmarked for each soldier landed
with his equipment and supple
mentary supplies. Thus, a minimum
invasion force of 100000 landed and
kept on the continent would need
100000 tons of merchant shipping
exclusively employed in that task.
And, of course, there is no assurance
that such second front might not
require much larger forces. Au-
thoritative military analysts in Brit
ain say that the Germans have not
yet depleted their regular garrison
troops in Western Europe, which are
of good quality and we'll disposed to
resist invasion. Neither has the big
pool of German general strategic re-
serves been thus far earmarked ire
vocably for the eastern front. 1t is
significant that, while political and
journalistic spokesmen in Britain
and elsewhere call ever more insist
emily for the immediate opening of
a second front whose abstract desir-
abilit.E no one will deny, military
quartz $ tend to warn against diff
culties gd express doubts as to its
feasibDA. this summer.
How much of current discussions
in authoritative circles are propa-
gandist features Of war of nerves, u
and how much of current military
peSsimism is a smoke screen yelling
positive invasion plans, no layman
can estimate. The second-front idea
thus remains the most tantalizing
field for speculation in this crucial
and uncertain time.