Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1942-12-31
Germun Ports Seen
As Berlin Approaches
Army Officer Discusses
Allied Chances of Success
In Attacks on Nozi Coasts
By Maj. Gen. John N. Greedy, U. S. A.

By Maj. Gen. John N. Greely, U. S. A.
Previous articles in this series have
| treated of the historic roads to Germany.
| These are: Across the Rhine, up the
valley of the Danube and through the
mountain passes from the south. The
straightest road to Berlin is through
Germany itself, and we can force a
landing in Germany only from the North
! Sea.
This would be a formidable under
taking for Allied naval ground and air
forces alike. The determining factor
might we'll be in the air. We are be-
deviled today by the basic problem Of
priorities. Which do we need the most ::
Ships, planes or tanks? An excellent
case can be built up for each of them
Germany faced the same sort of a
problem at the beginning of her re-
armament, when Goering announced
that its people chose guns rather than
butter. They balanced their program,
not always correctly, according to their
conception of the war to be fought; and
we are doing the same thing today.
To win the war We must move over
seas in strength, and to do so we need
many ships and planes Which should
come first is all important to production,
and the decision must be based on our
own conception as to how the war best
can be fought. Opposing theories have
slmmered down to the two following
views: Air enthusiasts think that over
Whelming attack from the air can crush
our enemy SO that mere occupation by
land forces Of the defeated country will
be necessary. More conservative soldiers
think that air power can go no further
than to sap enemy strength until victory
can be achieved on the land,
Nowhere is air supremacy more likely
70 be decisive than in an attack on
the North Sea coast of Germany. The
choice OF this route of invasion also is
arrived at from a different point Of
view in The New Second Front re-
Gently published by prominent British
geographer. Assuming that landing
in Europe must and can be made, he
finds that this is the best natural
approach to the heart of Germany.
1t is no easy way. The North Sea
Is the natural habitat of U-boats and
other torpedo-b bearing craft. All ap-
proaches to the German shore are likely
to be extensively mined Nazi airf1elds
are close and numerous. Helgoland is
an outer bastion and the Tristan Islands
an inshore line of defense The great
German harbors are sure to be eIabo-
rately fortified. Axis achievements can
be rushed up from the Berlin area and
the Rhlneland.
On the other hand many of these
defenses are natural targets for attack
by planes, in view of the definite and
increasing superiority we hold in the air.
Coast defenses, docks and railroads easily
are identified and hit by bombers Our
control of the sea is of immense value
even in these restricted and dangerous
waters Our surface craft might take
heavy losses; but the U-boats would take
losses, too. AS in many a land attack.
the time for establishing beachhead
would be an all-important command
decision. 1t might be swift surprise,
hidden in fog, Or 1t might follow weeks
OF preparation on the sea and over it..
Conditions for preparing such daring
venture are not too unfavorable Amer
lean relnforcements can be massed in
the British Isles in comparative safety.
We showed this in sending important
forces there before moving on French
hoy
is relatively short and might take advan-
tage Of the concealing mists which so
often shroud northern waters.
The landing in force against deter
mined resistance is the great and all
important difficulty. If we can establish
a beachhead at any one of the German
ports, conditions favor further advance
Emden is the westernmost port of any
size. At the mouth Of the River Ems
we would have friendly Holland at
our back. The river valley itself is a
natural route leading to the great indus
trial region of the Rhineland farther
south.
Bremen, the second port of Germany
In size, might become an American base
even more important in this war than
French Bordeaux was in 1918. It has
been great as shipping center since
the days of the Hanseatic League of
cities, which did so much to build Euro
pean civilization out of the ruins of the
Dark Ages. Here again the valley of
the Weser winds south into the center
of Germany, with fine lateral commune
cations toward the Rhineland on the
west and the Berlin industrial region
to the east.
Hamburg finally is the greatest of
German shipping centers, comparable
with New York and London. Its adj
vanced seaport at CuXhaven is 30 odd
miles down the Elbe; but the situation
Of Hamburg at a junction of land and
water routes made it great even before
the days of the Hanseatic League. A
base at Hamburg would have a not
unfrlendly Denmark little way off to
the north. So far as communications
are concerned it Is ideally situated for a
drive into Germany. The city has, of
course, lost much of its former greatness
as shipping center, as German seaborne
trade has withered. But all that re-
manned of its vast facilities would be of
the greatest value to a conquerer pre-
pairing for further attack
Hamburg is, in fact, the real port of
the Berlin industrial area 1t is con-
nected directly with the Nazi capital by
motor roads and railroads, and river