Evening star., 1943-10-22
Bv GUNNAk T. PHIL.

man from Berlin"
By GUNNAk T. PHIL.
STOCKHOLM When
the German armed forces began
their campaign in Russia they num-
bered about S,500000 men. They had
about:
Two hundred and seventy infantry
divisions of $4,000 each, making more
than 100000; 40 panzer divisions of
5000 each, making $4,000; luftwaffe
100000; artillery and reeerve, 1000
900: navy, 100000; Todt organiza-
ton, 100000
Added to this were 20 divisions of
the Rumanian Army, about 25O,O00
Croat and Slovak troops and 10000
Firms. The Germans also had the
passive support of 100000 Bulgars,
some of whom were used as garrison
troops in the Balkans.
Casualties during four years of
fighting have amounted roughly to
100000 killed, captured or totally
incapacitated, not counting those
merely lightly wounded.
In their place the total mobiliza-
tion carried out in January, February
and March of this year sent 2.500,0OC
new human nincpins to the skittle
alley of battle.
Soldiers Rejected Earlier.
The German armed forces today,
therefore, still number nearly
5000, 1000, but their quality is that of
completely untried army.
The men moving to the front now,
after bare six weeks training, are
of B or even &C." classification
those turned down earlier because
OF physical disability or the shirkers
who have stayed for the longest
possible time in civilian occupation.
This is one of the reasons why the
German Army is being forced back
on the defensive on all fronts. The
necessity for outstanding arms and
equipment in the face of the pro-
ductlon drop at home is another.
The oil problem is third, and per-
haps the biggest reason of all.
Up to 1941, at the close of the
summer campaign, the German
armed forces we're using 100000
tons of oil and petrol a year. Now
that they have more tanks but far
lever aircraft and thousands of
their army lorries have been con-
Verted to run on producer gas, the
need, as estimated by German ex-
perts, has been reduced to 5000 900
or 100000 tons.
Of this 100000 tons are supplied
by the synthetic process of I. G.
Farben; 100000 tons come from
Gallcla; while from Rumania. up to
August /, the Germans received
$500, 900 tons.
Air Losses Heavy.
Wnen one takes into account the
TACT that reserve stocks are now
down to 100000 tons and that the
requirements of home industry have
also 10 be met. one understands the
need for care.
The same trend from ofense to
defense is observable in the luft-
Wafie and the German Navy for
much the same reasons. But in the
case Of the luftwaffe the heaviness
OF their losses plays an even greater
role than in the army.
Possessing 5000 frst-line aircraft
TT the time of the battle of Brit
I'm, Germany today has fewer than
5000 and a reserve of only 1000
shortening Of training time owing
TO the need for replacing losses
training time for fighter or Stuka
pilot is now four months instead of
slX-has increased the number of
training accidents to nearly 10000 a
year.
The luftWaffe chiefs long since
nave given up the idea of competing
with Allied production and have
now concentrated to such an extent
on fighter planes that the produc-
ton OF the So-called retaliation
iombec the four-engined Heinkel
l77-haS practically stopped.
Kept at Bases by Hitler.
OF the navy one can say little
The big ships are confined to their
base by the personal orders of Hitler
who Will not again risk his prestige
by blow such as the sinkingS of the
Graf Spec and the Bismarck.
When Doenitz superseded Raeder
1t was whispered that the fleet
would come out in conjunction with
a terrific U-boat offensive. Now
even the German people realize that
the Allies have taken the measure
Of the U-boat.
Inc huge conveys which landed
British and American troops in
North Africa have put paid to Nazj
hopes of ever again fooling the
German public with tales of U-boat
sinNngs.
The last time I saw Hitler was in
the spring of this year. He had
recovered from his attacks of hys-
terra. But he was aged, stopping
lean and gray of face. His eyes were
haunted by fears of the future.
1t was as if he shared with the
majority of his soldiers a foretaste
of defeat, for, never forget that the
German soldier knows that he can
be beaten.
Elastic defense and the shortening
OF fronts constitute Germany's last
gamble. She is still immensely
strong, but it is just as dangerous
for the Allies to overestimate as tc
underestimate that strength,