Evening star., 1943-03-02
Allied Ruids Draw
Nuzis From Two Fronts
Major Eliot Soys Germans
Must ReulIocote Forces
To Meet Potential Attacks
BIZ Maj. George Fielding Eliot.


BIZ Maj. George Fielding Eliot.
1t should not be assumed hastily that
the round the clock" bombing of Ger
many and German-held Europe now in
progress is a softening-up process in
preparation for an imminent invasion of
Western Europe by Anglo American
forces
1t seems, from the loca ton of the tar
gets for the principal efforts, to be
largely directed against the U-boat, and
in this sense it may be regarded as a
general preparatory measure for an Al
lied offensive, because the reduction of
the U-boat menace Is condition prece-
dent to the undertaking of any large
| scale Allied offensive anywhere in the
world.
The roundthe clock bombing, if it
can be continued, will, however, have
important results both on the African
and Rus -;ian fronts. 1t will tend to draw
to Western Europe a gradually increas-
ing proportion of German fighter planes,
to the proportionate relief of the Anglo
American fc.ces in Tunisia and of our
Russian allies. The rate of loss among
these German fighters, especially in
their contacts with our heavily armed
day bombers, seems likely to be consid-
erable
Moreover, judging from past Ger
man reactions, 1t seems likely that the
Germans may find themselves compelled,
for morale reasons If no other, to under
take retaliatory bombings against the
British Isles which will serve to draw
off bombers from their other fronts.
Finally, as Gen. Eaker pointed out in
recent statement, round-the-clock
bombing requires the operation of Ger
man anti-aircraft defenses and air-raid
precautions personnel on a round the
clock basis, in three shifts, and this will
certainly complicate the manpower prob
lem Of the German high command, which
are already source of such great anxi-
ETY. In Berlin.
To carry this reasoning little farther,
and continuing with the assumption that
the chief immediate objective OF the
bombing campaign is the U-boat and
all its supporting elements, 1t would be
reasonable for the Germans to antici-
pate that series OF heavy and success
ful air raids on such a base as Lorient
or st. Nazaire might well be followed
up by Commando raid, the purpose of
which would be to complete by scien-
tiflc demolition the destruction already
wrought by the bombs and particularly
to destroy such installations as the con-
crete submarine pens which are not
readily susceptible to demolition by
aerial bombing.
Since the Germans can hardly guess
In advance where such an attack might
fall, this possibility will tend to keep
considerable numbers of troops and
equipment tied up both as local guards
for every base and as mobile reserves
ready to be moved quickly to any threat
ened point. These troops and equip
ment must be Of the highest quality for
the men OF the Commands are hardly
to be dealt with by superannuated re-
servists or by e-shattered refugees
from the Russian front.
This imposes an added and severe
strain on German fighting power and
will continue to impose 1t as long as the
present predictions exist even though
not single Commando raider actually
sets foot in German base area. This
Is one OF the advantages possessed by
the side which controls the sea which
Is always able to effect strategical sur
prise out OF the vastness of the deep and
1111C lie 10, M bod ~ bo
in readiness to meet attack at any point
along an exposed coast. The longer the
coast line to be defended. and tho
greater the number of possible objec-
tives situated along 1t, the greater will
be the forces required for local defense
units, patrols and mobile reserves.
In the present case. where both the
continuous air attacks and the potential
Commando attacks are essentially based
on the island of Great Britain and are
striking or may strike at any point along
the enormous and anxieties faced by the
German high command are very great
indeed. They would be difficult enough
even II there were no African front and
no Russian front clamoring for REIN
Ao1CcLnoiiVS' AI t11c IIioulcIlG, VIC pllA"
cipal attention of the German high
command Is doubtless fixed upon the
great battle Of decision raging between
the Donets and the Dnieper and insofar
as the round-the-clock bombing is in
tended for diversionary effect, it comes
at weu-chosen time indeed.
From the German point Of view, no
worse moment could have been chosen
to be compelled to face decisions as to
the reallocation of German air and
ground forces.
Copyright. 1e43, by Herald-Tribune. Inc.)