The Wilmington morning star. [volume] (Wilmington, N.C.) 1909-1990, 1943-12-13
interpreting
The War
BY ELTON c. FAY
Associated Press War analyst

H. H. Arnold predicts will ov.,
come the bomb-battered No.;
should begin to show stronoIr
the second phase of invasion If
the European continent.
Unfortunately, he may be ON
his feet and swinging bard +.
the first round, when the in,f.,
assault wave of Allied forces Nit,
the beaches.
The chief of the U. s. Armv
Air Forces, in recent press con
ference in the Allied-held nortion
OF Italy, suggested that if the Gov
mans are not knocked compIpte.
ly out of the war by the time a.
new Allied landing in Eurona
they are going to be too gros.
gy from air attacks to put IN
much of a fight. The Allies bona
to bring over Europe 'sucb II,
types that, with Russia, we winS
bomb Germany from every quar-.
ter OF the compass, he said
Among militery men, there is
disposition to interpret Arnold'S
prediction as referring to the over
all invasion program rather ,bao
to mean thai the actual LANDINGS
on the western shores of Euro6e
Will meet with little or no on1o.
sition. eF'
Germany has had Since mid.
summer of 1910 the opportunity IA
b. build and equip an Atlantic
Wall. Disregarding the obviously
enemy-inspired accounts and pic.
lures of the Notifications. there
are real reasons for BELIEVING the
wall is there. The Allies tested
it out in purely experimental man.
ner at Dieppe. on the coast Of
France
1t Is to be presumed that the
wall Is well manned and exists
in great depth, with positions ex-
tending far back from the coast.
line. Because the men. ammuni-
ton and structures are there and
ready, there would seem 10 be
strong reason to expect fierce
resistance to the initial landings.
1t is quite likely that the gar.
rison OF the Atlantic Wall would
know to almost the exact hour
and the exact spot where 10 ex.
pect landings. An essential pre-.
liminary to advance against a
heavily defended coastline area
would be hours if not days Of
intense bombardment by aviation
and, if possible, by naval gun
fire. That should inform the enc.
my where to anticipate trouble,
The Allies have some experience
at establishing beachheads. Some
of it was gained at scattered
points along the French North
African coast. More recently les
sons have been learned in the
American seizure Of the japanese
held Gilbert islands. Despite 1890
tons of bombs and shells hurled
into a mile-square area before
landings were attempted the de-
tenders in pillboxes and dugouts
were alive to put up fierce re-
sistance.
The grogginess resulting from
prolonged air attack should SHOW
when breach appears in the At
lantic Wall and the invasion tide
begins to roll through. CounteTai'
tack is the defensive weapon used
in that phase, an effort to roll the
opposition into the sea, A couN'
terattack. however, calls for hug.
and quickly obtained supplies OIL
reserves and supplies. There is
the key to what Arnold means
The German production ana
transportation machine by men
will have been under months ol
the most intense strategic BONO
ing Nor will the Nazis have the
reserves of manpoWer they once
were able to draw from GeIha,
ny. Austria, Czechoslovatua anu
Poland. They already have oeel'
drained, in considerable measure
to the perimeters on the hus sn
front and in Italy and to reinforce
garrisons in the Atlantic oeleHS''
from Norway to Spain
The prospects, based on 'ns sS
considerations, therefore loo& goou
and should continue so If the 10
tic of Allied energy and reSooi''
fulness is maintained. n.
There is always the chance ''o'
Germany may produce some new
tool of war to counter INVASION ~
retake the offensive. But by G''
same reasoning, there also is UNI
chance that our side hasn 'O"
cut of ideas.