Evening star., 1943-05-19
Nazis Count Heavily
On 0nce-Scorned
Wall Fortification
Atlantic Front Defenses
Greatest Of All Time
Germon Writers Soy
BY t he Associated Press,

BY the Associated Press.
STOCKHOLM, May l9.-With in
vasion threatening, Adolf Hitler and
his military advisers have switched
to the Maginot Line complex which
they once scorned and held partly
responsible for the fall of France.
The Atlantic wall stretching from
Northern Norway to Southern
France is termed by German war
reporters "the greatest defense wall
of all time" superior in strength
and depth to the West Wall which
Hitler built opposite the Maginot
Line.
Hitler IS virtually in constant
touch with Prof. Albert Speer, Nazi
minister of munitions, on the prog
ress of construction still going on
after three years. AS fast as fortif-
cations are completed troops take up
posts. They are constantly on the
alert and are engaged in anti-inva-
sion drills.
Pictures OF the Atlantic Wall are
being published by the Germans
regularly for propaganda purposes in
an effort to convince Germans of the
impregnability of the European fort
ress. In the main they reveal it has
the same characteristics of the West
Wall.
British Know Defenses.
Swedish correspondents in Berlin
recently said that Germans admitted
that the British are acquainted with
their western defense measures
through air reconnaissance and espi-
onage by workers, especially foreign
ers, who are employed by the thou
sands.
The Germans contend Hitler bene-
f1ted by the weakness of the Maginot
Line In planning the flexible West
Wall and now has incorporated the
costly lessons which the Russians
taught him in the East.
Experiences gained in the East
in street and house fighting have
been exploited" one German war re-
porter wrote. "An enemy who has
penetrated the defenses must fight
for every house, every street, and
every objective"
Latest photographs would seem to
verify that. The Germans, for ex-
ample. have bricked, in all openings
on first and second story levels of
houses and stores in the evacuated
Channel coast towns Thus the in
vader is deprived of the protection
of doorways and house interiors
while the Germans have converted
them to their own uses as forts. In
addition maze of barbed wire runs
through all the streets and prone
nades.
Fields of Fire Overlap.
"One next to another, with over
tapping fields of fire, nests of resis-
tance stretch along the whole At
lantic front with their fast firing
cannon, light and heavy machine
guns, grenade and flame throwers
and mine fields" a German war
correspondent wrote.
Behind them are army batteries
and between them at carefully work
ed out distances are heavy coastal
batteries. All weapons have been
tested to the nth degree. Far be-
hind this deeply co-ordinated ad-
vance defense system, reserves are
waiting. armored troops and excel
lent infantrymen, to throw out the
enemy again if he happens to pene-
trate."
That the Germans haven't too
much confidence that the Atlantic
Wall will be able to withstand the
storm of United Nations troops
despite the boasts is seen in recent
writings of military experts.
One in the Bruesseler Zeitung
sternly warned Belgians that if the
Allies succeed in smashing through
the Atlantic defenses and Germans
have to withdraw to the West Wall,
such general destruction and dis
aster would result for the popula-
tion as the armies clashed that it
would make little difference whether
the Belgians were pro-Ally or pro-
German.
Manned BY Trained Troops.
1t Is assumed that the troops who
spent months during 1889 and 1910
accustoming themselves to battle in
a prepared fortified line are the men
now manning the Atlantic defenses.
Sprinkled along the Atlantic are
German naval bases, which Germans