Evening star., 1943-07-20
Nozis May Sacrifice
Sicily to Save OreI
By Maj. George Fielding Eliot.

~ AA~ys NS0f SS SSt1ItS CtSOLs
The dinculties which the German
high command faces in dealing with its
problems of defensive strategy hardly
could have been better illustrated than
by the recent German fiasco on the Rus
sian front. Far from being a great
offensive, this was an operation to which
such strictly limited means had been as
signed that it had to be discontinued
after two weeks of vain effort, and has
been followed by sharp Russian coun-
teroperation which has not only deprived
the Germans of what trifling gains they
had made, but is threatening likewise
to deprive them of the pivotal fortress
of Orel.
The truth of the matter is probably
that the German high command does
not dare commit really powerful forces
to Russian offensive because of its
fears of what might happen elsewhere
in the meantime. What the Germans
will do if full-scale Russian offensive
gets going against them remains to be
seen; certainly such an offensive would
put them in serious difficulty, especially
if, by that time, they were facing real
danger on some other front.
Indeed. it is quite possible that they
have abandoned all hope of saving
Sicily in favor of trying to save Orel.
The principal question mark in the
minds Of informed observers after it was
clear that Gen. Eisenhowers surprise
had carried us safely through the first
critical period of the Sicilian landings,
was whether the Germans would use
their air reserve-principally bombers-
to support the Axis forces on Sicily.
The German bomber reserve has not
made its appearance over Sicily. Judging
from Russian reports of greatly increased
German air activity in the Orel sector,
it would seem that the Germans may
have sent their bomber reserve to Orel
instead.
If this is true, it may be highly sig
nificant of the attitude of the German
high command with regard to Italy it
self. 1t would mean that the German
high command has abandoned the gar
rison of Sicily, Germans and Italians
alike, to inevitable destruction or cap
ture. 1t would further mean that the
Germans had to make choice between
Sicily or Orel, and chose Orel; it might
very well mean that the Germans now
regard any Italian position south of the
Po as expendable and are gradually
coming to realization of the truth of
Frederick the Greats axiom that: He
who tries to defend everything, ends by
losing everything"
Another point to be considered In
connection with this Russian operation
Is the report from Russian sources,
passed on to us Sunday by Bill Downes,
CHS correspondent in Moscow, to the
effect that the German troops on sthe
Russian front seem to have lost a good
deal OF their former excellent fighting
spirit. Not that they are cracking up,
Mr.. Downes tells us, but they just don't
fight with the same all-out determina-
ton that they used to have. There was
time when the average German soldier
would die rather than surrender; now
he surrenders rather than to die.
We have seen some hint of this in
Tunlsla. 1t probably reflects the spread
throughout the German armed forces
OF the feeling that there is no longer any
hope of German victory. It may ex-
plain why, in violation of all the recent
tactical lessons of the African campaign,
the Germans used so many tanks to
spearhead their recent Russian thrusts.
The Russians tell us that the German
infantryman does not do so we'll in an
attack these days unless he can see
plenty of tanks going along with him.
All OF this, Of course. is not to say that
the morale Of the German Army is
broken. That is not true by any means
not yet. But no German ever has
fought as well in losing cause as in one
in which he felt confident of victory.
The German soldiers on the eastern
front have learned healthy respect for
their Russian opponents, and there can
be few Of them, indeed, who believe any
longer that Germany has any chance of
beating Russia.
In Tunisia, and now In Sicily, the Ger
mans have learned, to their profound
establishment, that American and British
soldiers are also opponents more than
worthy Of the Germans steel.
The German troops in Sicily seem to
be putting up good fight, judging from
present reports; it will be interesting to
observe how long they keep it up; and
whether the fuller reports yet to come
will show the same tendencies among
them as are now reported. of their COM
rades on the Russian front.
(copyrisht. 1943, N. 7. Tribune. Inc)
Casualties Not Great
From the Hutchinson (Kans) News