Detroit evening times. (Detroit, Mich) 1921-1958, 1943-01-22
Leningrad
Shows Nazis
Cracking
But lis Too early to Tel.
How Far II VIII 60
BY PAUL MALLON

WASilNGIoN' Jan Il
W Signs Of a great demorali-
zation in the German army are
becoming apparent all along the
Russian front.
There is just a chance. about
a one 10 five ager-make II no
larger than that yrt-that Hitler
will have TO draw his armies all
the way back into the Ukraine
and perhaps out OF Russia alto
gether.
The story behind the lifting Of
the siege of Leningrad is the
same as that of Stalingrad and
the South Caucasus. II is
tale OF the hardShips Of an army
trying 10 spend a second winter
in strange land of unbelievable
cold. snow and ice, facing a re-
lentlcss foe able To take adj
vantage of conditions terrifying
TO strangers.
THE Reds launched excellent
Il attacks 10 relieve Leningrad
last summer and they tried
again last fall. These lasted for
weeks. There was nothing par
ticularly new in the strategy or
mechanical deployments TO make
their current one successful in
seven days, except the greatly
weakened morale Of the German
army.
This same weakness was SIM
HltaneouSly shown in the Nazi
loss of Millerovo and KamenSk.
where the Russians actually
claimed TO have crossed the
Donets River.
II the Russians establish
themselves on the west bank. in
any force. the Nazis will have
to look far behind them for
another good stopping place.
These signs that the German
fighting spirit is waning at last,
may be subject TO dangerous
neutrality-suspicious.. No one can
safely guess yet whether the
cracking morale will widen and
accelerate sufficiently TO COM
plete the collapse of German re-
siStance.
But the crack is evident now
and all eyes here are glued on 1t.
A T EVERY point where the
"A British expected Rommel
TO make a stand, he has deployed
his troops, as if 10 fight strongly,
and then Sneaked away as soon
as the British moved up their
heavy forces for the assault.
This he did at FL Agheila, the
Wadi-Zemzem ravine and now
at Misurata.
The expectation here is that
he will establish himself on the
line of HONS where a mountain
range runs back from the sea in
southwesterly direction, pro-
tecting Tripoli.
But that mountain range is
steepest on the side toward Trip
oil. The approaches from the
British side are gradual and.
therefore, the range is not as
good a defensive position as some
that Rommel already has passed.
But if he does not put up a
real fight for Tripoli and at
tempts to escape along the coast
into Tunisia, he will have given
us the best prize of the African
front since Bengazi.
Tripoli is an excellent port. It
can be swiftly cleaned of wreck
age. and the British can use it as
well as the several superior air.
fields surrounding it.
COME a m ateur strategists
~ think Rommel may cut
straight west through TuniSia
and attempt TO fall on our flank
and rear. Military men discount
the possibility as Rommel, in
such suicidal undertaking.
would have the British Eighth
army in his rear. constantly
harassing his line of supplies.
Another current idea is that
the Americans might organize
an expedition TO occupy Sicily
and cut off the German line of
supplies. instead Of fighting in
Tunisia. but this would hardly
work. as long as the Nazis have
airfields in Tunisia. Italy and
Sardinia which could maintain
an air supremacy over our land
Ing parties.
So II looks like the expected
close-grip tussle for Tunisia
must be followed through on
orthodox lines.
MY INFORMANTS swear this
4'I is true, and I will retell II,
because 1t should be even If it
isn't.
When Brig. Gen. Brehon
Somervell, chief Of army supply
and the father of the lavish
S70,000,0O0 palace Of the war
department across the Potomac
River. was Public Works Ad-
miniStrator in New York. he
was called before a congressional
committee.
A congressman accused him
Of being a Communist for in.
discriminatory feeding loafers at
government expense. and made
General Somervell so angry that,
when he left the stand. he went
10 r hardware store and bought
q SrrnNN aud q MT M.hicI, La