Detroit evening times. (Detroit, Mich) 1921-1958, 1944-06-14
BEHIND
THE NEWS
BY Paul
Manon

llfSl udN Oh lnc idHuiIlb IN
France made ensuing reports OF
the first week of the battle seem
somewhat Disappointing
Most authorities would have
expected the penetration TO he
three or four times as deep by
now. The unexpected strength
of the German troops, the eX-
tent of underwater mine fields.
and bad weather in the channel
can be offered as valid eXplana-
tionS. The fighting, too, has
been as tough or tougher than
represented. But optimism on
this side was certainly over
played
1t may possibly be five more
days before the battle will have
reached the point where any
authentic guesses can be made
as to how long the job will take
(adding three more days TO the
original forecast published June
8 for the three days of bad chan
mel weather..
Concentrations of power on
both the landing and defensive
sides always require much more
time than people generally eX-
pect. After the North African
landings. weeks passed before
the important conflicts. On the
Anzio beachhead in Italy, where
no opposition was offered to our
landing the battle did not de-
velop until the eighth day
THE truly unexplained mys-
Il terry of the attack so far.
however. has been the almost
total absence of the German air
force.
No more than 100 NaZi planes
a day appeared over the battle
area in the first six days. The
average was 30 10 so planes.
We blackened the skies the first
DAY with 1900 planes, and II is
no military secret that we have
amassed forces which will in
crease that figure.
The long unanswered question
Of Where is the German air
force ?" is still unanswered. The
Germans have allowed odds of
10 10 | against them 10 pre-
vail over the heads of their
troops.
The deduction that Hitler is
saving his planes is natural, but
does not explain the shortage OF
reconnaissance planes IN the
channel when our 1000 ships
were blowing their way across
the first day, If he is saving
the Luftwaffe. il must be 10
meet a second invasion some
where on the coast, which Gen.
Eisenhower stantly has
threatened from day to day by
ship and plane maneuvers. How
il can be any more valuable 10
him then. than for the first in
vaSion. i cannot understand. In
fact. / am beginning 10 doubt
gravely if there is a Luftwaffe
in France, any more than there
was one in Italy.
Herr Goering's brave orders
TO it TO fight to the death as the
attack opened, probably we're
delivered 10 empty space.
DOWN in Italy. their fight
~ from Rome has been accom-
panied by collapse of German
morale beyond our fondest
hopes. They had plenty of time
TO prepare to get out. but even
so. their troops have been
sharply cut up. Their whole re-
treat has been disorderly, and
their remaining armies have lost
cohesion.
This raises the question Of
whether they can now hold the
Apennine line for any length of
time. This series of fortified
mountain posi- tions. running
across the boot from Liverno TO
Florence 10 Rimini. is we'll dug
and has been long occupied 70
guard against any amphibious
landing north OF Rome.
But the NaZis will need re-
Inducements from southern
France and Yugoslavia if they
are to hold il. The reports on
their military strength was 10
divisions around Rome. and two
or three more sent forward from
the Apennine line for the de-
Tense OF the capital.
Our latest figure on captured
prisoners runs no higher than
10000 which would be about
three divisions as German di-
visions go these days. While
these figures would indicate
they have escaped TO the Appen-
mines with the bulk of their
troops, their condition is hardly
as formidable as their numbers.
Behind the Apennines is the Pc
River line, but il cannot be de-
Tended with a small number OF
troops. Any retreat behind the
Apennines would certainly mean
complete Nazi withdrawal from
Italy. '~S
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